


Blood Sacrifice

by Raven Ladies (empressmish)



Category: Trinity Blood
Genre: Adventure, Blood, Drama, Gore, M/M, Male/Male, Slash, Strong Language, Vampires, Violence, bad ass priests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-12 02:32:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 47,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressmish/pseuds/Raven%20Ladies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vatican AX agents, Abel Nightroad and Leon Garsia de Asturias are dispatched to investigate a horrific massacre in a church, presumably committed by Methuselah.  (Co-written with Lady Ravenlocke and published under the joint pen-name, Raven Ladies)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place after the events in “Silent Noise” and before those in “The Ibelis 1: Evening Visitors” of the anime series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This story takes place after the events in “Silent Noise” and before those in “The Ibelis 1: Evening Visitors” of the anime series.

_This is a work of fanfiction and is intended for entertainment purposes only. Trinity Blood and its respective characters are the property of their creator and distributors. The overall plot however, as well as any original characters are the property of the authors._

* * *

 

**Blood Sacrifice**

 

_Chapter One_

 

 "You wished to see me, Your Eminence?" 

Abel Nightroad's voice sounded almost unnaturally loud in Cardinal Catarina Sforza's silent office, and it immediately drew the woman's attention away from a stack of papers littering her desktop. When she regarded Abel's slender form, silhouetted in the doorway, she smiled a bit. "I did," she said. "Come in, Abel, please." 

On silent feet, Abel made his way over to Catarina's desk and stood silently, his blue eyes on her intently. Catarina considered him in equal silence for a time before she spoke. "There's a situation in Hispania that I would like you to look into." 

Abel stiffened at that, a muscle in his jaw clenching. But when he spoke, his voice was soft and even. "Yes, of course," he said. "Do you have any information for me concerning the situation?" 

Catarina shuffled briefly through the papers on her desk. "Not much, I'm afraid," she replied. "All I've been told is that there was some kind of slaughter in a small church on the outskirts of Valentia. All of the humans within were murdered, as were a small number of Methuselah." 

"Both?" Abel asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. 

Catarina nodded. "Valentia is somewhat unusual, as it seems to have been mostly untouched by the conflict between Terrans and Methuselah. Both live in the city, and both exist peacefully side by side. Needless to say, this kind of incident runs the risk of disturbing that delicate peace." 

Abel nodded. "I see. When do I leave?" 

"Your ship departs in three hours. Your partner will meet you on board." 

Abel frowned. "Lady Catarina—" he began, but the scarlet-clad woman cut him off. 

"This point isn't open for debate, Abel," she said, her tone firm. "Hispania has become an unstable area after the incident with the Silent Noise system. I'm not sending _anyone_ into an area like that without a partner. Not even you." 

Abel fell silent at that; he could have argued further, but Catarina's reasoning was sound, and any arguments he threw at her at this point would sound petulant. "As you will. 

 

# # #

  

The docks along the Tiber were bustling with activity, and Abel did his best to stay out of the way of the sailors and cargo handlers as they came and went, many carrying or pushing carts loaded with luggage and other goods. It wasn't hard for him to stay out of the way; his dark robes leading many to give him a wide berth, parting as he passed like water before the prow of one of the proud-looking ships that lined the slips. It didn't take too long to find the vessel that he and his partner had been booked on, and after crossing the gangway, he sought out one of the less harried-looking sailors. A brief conversation revealed that so far, no one else wearing clothing similar to Abel's had been seen. 

The priest took his leave of the sailor and made a quick circuit of the deck, but saw no one that he recognized. Checking a small pocket watch he carried, the priest realized they'd be sailing soon, and found a place along the ship's railing near the entrance to wait for his partner to arrive. Part of him was concerned that his partner, whoever it was, wouldn't show up. But another part of him, a tiny voice that whispered in his ear, reminded him that if his partner missed the boat, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing at all. 

Several long minutes later, he heard the call go up for final boarding, and moved away from his place, making room for people waving farewell to family members, lovers, and the like. The priest wanted no part of that, and quietly made his way to another part of the deck to settle and wait until they were underway. 

 

# # #

  

The gangway was just starting to retract, and dockworkers were beginning to cast off the ship's moorings when there was a small commotion on the dock as a black-clad man, with a traveling pack over his shoulder, pushed his way through the gathered crowd. The dark-haired man offered no apologizes as he hurriedly made his way towards the ship, despite the numerous looks that he received at his rudeness. 

"Wait a minute!" He yelled as he broke into a run before vaulting from the wooden dock and onto the gangway, the man reaching out to grab the railing to steady himself as the metal walkway continued to draw back towards the deck of the ship. 

Before the gangway retracted completely, the brunette man jumped the easy distance onto the top deck of the ship, landing firmly on his feet before resettling his pack. A grin split his handsome face, though whatever personal satisfaction he was feeling was quickly swept away as he was immediately accosted by the ship's first mate and another sailor. "Just in time." He said to the two men, his grin still flashing. 

"Excuse me sir." The mate said as his eyes flicked over the man's white-trimmed ebony robes. "May I see your boarding pass?" 

"Boarding pass?" 

"Yes, Sir. Your boarding pass." 

"Uh yeah...uhm...well it's kind of funny...” The dark-haired man started. 

The first mate raised his eyebrow. 

"I have one," the man started to explain. "But I don't have one...” 

"You don't have a boarding pass?" 

"I do." The man responded. "But I'm not the one who has it." 

"I'm sorry, Sir. But you can't come aboard without a ticket." 

"Look buddy," the grin had already slid from the brunette's face. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone, and _they're_ supposed to have the ticket." 

The commotion had already drawn attention from several people nearby, and it drew Abel from his thoughts as well. Frowning curiously, the priest almost ignored it, until he got a glimpse of dark robes and resisted the urge to swear. Rising to his feet, he made his way towards the gathering crowd. 

León Garsia de Asturias was still arguing with the ship's mate, the broad-shouldered man looking none-to-happy, his dark eyes flashing in anger as he tried, unsuccessfully, to reiterate his explanation. By this time, the ship had been completely freed of its moorings, and was beginning to pull away from the dock, the wheelhouse having no idea that there was a problem on the deck. 

"If you don't have a boarding pass," the first mate said crisply. "Then I have no choice but to consider you a stowaway." 

"A what?" León's voice rose, in both anger and disbelief. 

"Unless, of course, you have money to pay for a ticket." The mate looked at the black-clad man knowingly. "Although I'm not sure if we have any berths available, which means that you'd have to sleep out on the deck." 

León scowled at the mate. "Why you...” 

As Abel drew closer, he heard León before he saw him, and exhaled an internal sigh, even as he fought the urge to smile. There were worse people to have watching his back, even if he could have done without the whole incident. Pushing his way quickly through the crowd, Abel waited until he had broken through the ring of people before he spoke. "I'm sorry, gentlemen," he said, raising his voice enough to be heard. "Is there a problem here?" 

Both men turned at the sound of the priest's voice. "Its about damn time." León said. 

"I'm afraid you'll have to forgive us," Abel said, not looking at León just yet as he turned the whole of both his attention and his charm on the first mate. "We got separated and I ended up with both boarding passes." The two slips of paper were produced from some hidden pocket in Abel's robes. "I hope we haven't cause too much trouble," the man went on as he offered them to the first mate. 

The sailor took the offered slips, and looked them over, glancing at Abel once or twice as he purposefully examined the passes before handing them back to the pale-haired man. "They seem to be in order." 

"I truly am sorry about the misunderstanding," Abel went on, grabbing León's arm in a firm grip and steering him away from the sailors. "We'll just be taking our leave now...." 

"Hey!" León started to protest as the ivory-haired priest pulled him through the crowd, which by that time had started to part a bit to let them through. Abel ignored the protest, not releasing León until they were clear of the crowd, exhaling a soft sigh of relief. 

The brunette glowered at his companion. "Where the hell were you? You were supposed to meet me on the dock." 

"Where were _you_?" Abel countered. "I waited for you. Even once I was on the ship, I waited by the entrance until the last few minutes." 

León's ire cooled a bit. "Okay, so maybe I was a few seconds late...” He reached and scrubbed a hand through his long unruly hair. 

Abel tried to keep a stern gaze on the man, but found it almost impossible. "It's all right. We've cleared things up and we're both here...Let's just leave it at that, hm?" 

The other man nodded his head in agreement, though he grumbled a bit under his breath. 

"I wasn't expecting you." Abel said, smiling a bit at the grumbling. 

"You were waiting for me, but you weren't expecting me?" 

Abel considered that question for a moment, then laughed softly. "Let me clarify. I was waiting for whoever my partner was supposed to be...but I didn't know it was going to be you until I actually saw you." 

"Disappointed?" Leon inquired, his golden brown gaze intent on the priest's china blue eyes. 

Abel shook his head. "Not at all, what makes you say that?" 

The brunette shrugged his broad shoulders slightly. "It has been a while." 

Abel smiled a bit, and when a quick glance showed him no one paying attention, murmured. "Too long. I've missed you, León." 

The dark-eyed man gave his companion a small smile. "Its good to see you too, Junior." 

 

# # #

  

"So...how much did they tell you?" 

León looked over at Abel, the dark tressed man seated on the edge of one of the double beds in their cabin, having claimed it for himself. Abel had made the suggestion that they find their quarters before getting into a discussion on their current assignment, the priest stressing that Catarina had wanted to keep things as quiet as possible. 

The cabin they had been assigned to was small and sparse, nothing to write home about as León had commented before tossing his travel pack on the bed closest to the door. Besides the pair of beds there was a large wardrobe for their clothing as well as a small table and two chairs, presumably for them to take their meals and a separate bath. The latter had been a welcomed sight to León, the dark-haired man rarely having a chance to bathe alone. 

"Not much." León replied. "Just there was some kind of a massacre in a church in Valentia that involved both humans and vampires; and that it was a ... how did the Professor say it? A _delicate_ situation." 

"Ah, so they sent the Professor to make contact with you, then,. Abel said, nodding to himself. "Well, I don't know much more than you do, but here's what Lady Catarina's told me." And after taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he told León about the discussion he'd had with the Cardinal, omitting only their brief disagreement over Abel taking a partner. 

"Delicate was an understatement." The dark-haired man remarked after a few moments. 

"Indeed," Abel agreed, nodding. "But it's why Lady Catarina is stressing utmost quiet with this mission." 

"I haven't been up to that area in years." León mused. "Probably not since I first joined up with the army." 

Before the events that had led to his becoming a member of the AX, León had been a decorated soldier in the army of the Kingdom of Hispania, the majority of his career spent in the southern territory of Morocco where he had grown up. 

"Even so, you know Hispania much better than I do," Abel said. "I haven't been back since..." He trailed off, then waved it off. "Never mind...I'm just grateful to have a native along." 

León didn't miss the hesitation, though he said nothing. The dark-haired man leaned back on his elbows, his legs hanging over the side of the bed. "So what's the game plan?" 

"Once we've arrived in Valentia, I want to examine the church. Lady Catarina has sent ahead the order to seal the building down until we arrive, though if I know the people, they're likely to remove the bodies first. Once we've done that, then I think we should get in touch with the local authorities, see if there's any information that's come up that wasn't in the report submitted to the Vatican." 

The broad-shouldered man nodded, his dark eyes settling on the pale-haired man once again. "And before we arrive in Valentia?" He asked after a moment or two. 

Abel looked over at León and smiled a bit. "I thought I might leave that up to you." 

A slow grin split the dark-eyed man's lips. "Sounds like a good plan to me." 

Abel chuckled. "I didn't think you'd mind that too much," he said. 

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you." 

"Sometimes," Abel replied, slipping his glasses off so he could clean the lenses. 

León's elbows slid down as the dark-haired man lowered himself the rest of the way until he was lying on his back. The front of his robes, already opened from neck to waist, a wide white sash wound around his waist, parting a slight bit to reveal more of his tanned and muscled chest. Abel looked up as he heard León shift, and slipped his glasses back on. "So what kept you?" He finally asked. "It's not like you to cut things quite _that_ close." 

"Do you know how far it is from the the prison to here?" The prone man asked in response. "And since I don't have any money, and the Professor didn't leave me any, I had to come all the way on foot; and I busted my ass to get here too." 

Abel frowned a little and looked at his partner quietly for a moment. "They didn't arrange for transportation for you?" 

"If they did, it never showed up. If I hadn't been standing around waiting for somebody to show up I probably would have been here sooner." 

Abel shook his head; it was an unusually sloppy means of handling things, but the Professor was human, _and_ prone to absent-mindedness. The priest made a mental note to have a word with him about it when they returned to Rome. "I'm sorry. If I'd known about it, I could have tried to make arrangements for you." 

León shrugged. "It's done with now, so don't worry about it. It's not your fault." 

"I suppose there's that. And you're here, which is the important thing." 

The brunette shifted slightly so that he could pillow his head on his arm. Abel watched the other man in silence for a few moments, before rising to his feet and moving over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. León's brown eyes followed the priest's movements, the fingers of his free hand reaching out to toy with the end of Abel's gathered tail of pale hair after the man settled next to him. It had been quite some time since the two had seen one another, León having been returned to prison a few days after the capture of the pope's uncle, Arch Bishop D'Este, and the Silent Noise system before it could destroy Rome just as it had Barcelona. 

Abel turned toward the man a little, reaching down to lay one gloved hand on León's exposed chest, looking down at the dark-haired man and smiling. Unwinding his arm from behind his head, the brunette pushed himself up into a sitting position. Winding his hand around Abel's silky ivory locks, he gripped them lightly before giving the ponytail a slow, gentle pull to draw the priest closer. Abel's hand never left León's chest as he shifted closer, meeting the man's dark eyes for a few long moments before leaning in and capturing León's lips in a heart-felt kiss. A soft, nearly inaudible sound escaped from the brunette as their mouths met, León returning the warm press of lips with just as much affection. 

Exhaling a soft sound of his own, Abel let his gloved hand slide up León's chest, caressing the side of his neck, before cupping his cheek. The soft, supple leather rasped over the stubble on the dark-eyed man's jaw, the caress drawing another small sound from him, León's other hand settling lightly on Abel's thigh. The hand was warm, even through the fabric of his robes and the trews beneath, and Abel made another soft sound. The kiss continued on, the press of León's lips against the other man's becoming much more firm as he tilted his dark-head slightly, his hand rubbing light circles over Abel's ebony-clad thigh as he began to reacquaint himself with the priest. 

Abel didn't seem to mind a bit, parting his lips as León tilted his head, a silent invitation to the man. He took his hand from León's cheek for a few moments though, reaching to strip away his gloves, tossing them blindly toward the other bed. León waited until the ivory-haired man's hands were on him once again before he took that invitation, slipping his tongue between Abel's welcoming lips and into the moist cavern of his mouth, the brown-eyed man's hand unconsciously tightening in the pale locks slightly as their tongues met. 

The two had first become intimate a few years after León had become a member of AX, Abel being his initial contact when the offer had been made, the blue-eyed man quietly laying out Catarina's terms from behind a piece of reinforced glass, León handcuffed to the chair he was sitting in on the other side. The brunette had liked him almost immediately, the priest seemingly not afraid of him, appearing completely composed for someone who was in the presence of a convicted mass murderer. That Abel's tone and manner had been decidedly genuine and not patronizing had earned him the brunette's respect as well. The priest had also been the one to travel with him to Rome and present him to his new employer. 

For whatever reason, Abel had apparently been made León's unofficial liaison with Catarina, the pale-haired man bearing her offers for missions to the brown-eyed brunette, as well as being designated his partner nine times out of ten. The two got along and worked together well, León finding that he was more comfortable in Abel's company then he was in that of the other AX members, though that was through no fault of theirs for the most part. It had been during a mission in Venice when the two had come together for the first time, giving into what had been a quiet mutual attraction. 

Abel had never minded the job, and had likewise liked León from the moment they had met. The man could be brash, true, but Abel had never once been given cause to fear him, the two of them earning the respect of the other quickly. Abel had always treated León like a person, and unlike most of the other AX members had at first, León hadn't assumed him weak or incapable, in spite of the facade he was often forced to give to the world. His attraction for the other man had risen just as quickly, and had been difficult to hide, but it wasn't hard to be drawn in by León's blunt manner and rugged good looks. There was something unruly, and just a little wild about the larger man, and it had fascinated Abel. 

The thought made Abel smile a little into the kiss, moaning softly as his hands settled on León's chest again. In truth, León had never stopped fascinating him. Their relationship was odd to be sure, the nature of León's situation being such that sometimes months would pass before they were able to see one another again; and due to their circumstances as members of the AX and their positions within the Vatican, they had to be as as inconspicuous as possible. Though a great many things had changed within the church over the centuries, there were still some things that were quite frowned upon.

As the kiss became more heated, León's hand traveled the length of Abel's slim thigh, rubbing light circles over the priest's knee cap before unwinding his hand from the man's pale gossamer hair and slipping his arm around his waist. Abel's hands whispered along León's chest again, fingers sliding through the dusting of coarse hair he found there, and slid his arms around the dark-haired man's neck, breaking the kiss only when the need for oxygen finally required it. León gasped softly, his lips brushing over the blue-eyed man's jaw. "Didn't think you'd still be interested in spending time with me." He said softly, his breath ghosting over Abel's pale skin. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Abel whispered back, shivering at that teasing caress of warm breath. 

"Oh I don't know...” The other man responded in-between soft kisses. "There was something going around about you having a thing for statuesque blonds with mountains of attitude." 

"And just who started _that_ vicious rumor?" Abel murmured, his eyes falling closed as León kept dotting kisses along his skin. 

"Is it a rumor?" León's breath whispered in the pale-haired man's ear. 

Abel gasped in a soft breath at that, shivering. "Of course it is. The only mountain of attitude I'm even remotely interested in is you," he whispered back. 

The other man chuckled slightly as he pulled back a bit to look at Abel. "Junior, I'm a whole mountain range of attitude." 

Abel laughed softly at that, and reached up to brush a few errant wisps of hair from León's eyes. "And I wouldn't have it any other way." 

The brunette grinned before moving back in to recapture the priest's mouth in another kiss, León slowly pulling Abel down onto the bed. The priest went willingly, meeting León's kiss with just as much emotion as the first, one long-fingered hand burying itself in León's dark hair. León's hand settled on the ivory-haired man's slim hip, the broad-shouldered man nudging his knee between Abel's legs as he settled his weight over the priest. Though their partings were almost always bittersweet, it all seemed worth it somehow whenever they came together again after a lengthy time apart. 

Abel exhaled a soft, pleased moan as León settled over top him, the arm that had been looped around León's shoulders loosening its hold to allow him to smooth a palm down the dark-haired man's back. And so the two stepped onto that path of rediscovery once more, León and Abel spent a healthy portion of their short trip in each other's arms, making up for lost time while they could, before the press of their mission took precedence over their lives once again.


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two_

 

The voyage from Rome to the coast of Hispania went by much faster then either man would have liked once their ship left the Tiber and moved into the open sea. The weather remained bright, the sun warm on their faces whenever they ventured out onto the deck. Despite León's earlier problem with the first mate, the rest of the ship's staff were fairly congenial to the two priests, no doubt their position in the church affording them a bit of added hospitality. 

The two kept to themselves for the most part, taking the majority of their meals in their room, though they did accept an invitation to dine with the ship's captain their last night aboard. Abel handled most of the conversation, León having little interest in participating in the polite etiquettes that such a situation usually called for. Before the two departed however, one of the ship's junior officers, who had also been in attendance, had quietly pulled Abel aside for a few moments to ask the priest to pray for his mother who had been quite ill recently. The pale-haired man gave the young man his reassurance that he would do so, offering the man a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before taking his leave, León following him. 

When the pair rose the next morning, the coast of Hispania could be sighted from the ship's railing, with a few more hours' voyage seeing the ship entering Valentia's harbor.

 

# # #

 

The wharf was bustling, the port being one of the major trading centers in the region, the area around the city itself well known for its orange and olive groves. Before it was allowed to dock however, the ship had to go through a customary inspection by one of the harbor masters before it was was cleared to enter. Once the ship was docked, it was still more than an hour before the passengers, Abel and León among them, were allowed to disembark, the pair shouldering their travel packs as they made their way down the gangplank and onto the dock. 

The sun was shining, the air warm but not uncomfortably so, typical weather for the region at that time of the year. The wharf was busy with people, carts and and vehicles, all on their way to some business or other, the majority laden with cargo of some kind. The two men received only a few cursory glances from passersby, the city's residents long used to travelers; and more recently, refugees from Barcelona who had fled the once great city in the wake of its devastation. 

Abel was quiet as he walked, careful not to lose sight of León in the crowd. He hadn't been to Hispania since the Barcelona incident, and although the memory of where he was ached dully, it was hard not to find himself at least somewhat cheered by the bustling crowds. The country had suffered a terrible blow, but seemed to be holding together well enough. 

It had been years since León had been to this part of Hispania, the dark-haired man having originally been from the more southern region of the kingdom near Morocco. It didn't take León long to get his heading however, the big man steering his companion away from the dock area and towards a district filled with traveler's hotels, some quite ornate looking, and others much more plain and non-nondescript. It was to one of the latter that he made his way, Abel only a step or two behind him. 

With the swell of refugees from Barcelona, rooms were still at a premium, but after a little haggling, León was able to secure a room for he and Abel, the pale-haired priest doling out the required deposit before the clerk handed over the room key. The room itself was not very large, but it was clean, the curtains on the single window and the coverings on the room's large bed, worn but in good repair. In addition to the bed, there was also a bureau for their clothing as well as a small table and two chairs next to the window. It lent the room a worn, but inviting feel, and Abel decided he liked it well enough as they entered. "Nicely done, by the way, managing this," he said to León as they entered the room. 

León shrugged and flung his bag down on the bed, the brunette then turning to open the window, muted sounds from the street below filtering into the room. Abel moved toward the bureau, setting his bag down beside it before moving to sit on the edge of the bed, listening to the frame creak softly as he did so. Splaying his hands on the sill, León leaned out the window slightly. "What are the chances of getting something to eat before we start our little investigation?" 

The pale-haired priest managed a soft chuckle at that. "Consider who you're asking, and you tell me." 

León chuckled and pulled his head back in the window. "You're the one holding the purse strings, four-eyes." 

"I wouldn't mind eating something," Abel said. 

"Let's get to it then."

 

# # #  


 

Abel let León choose their restaurant once they left the hotel.  Abel knew very little of Hispania's more affordable cuisine, and he had also learned in all his time traveling, that natives tended to know the best places to get food at a decent price.  The cafe León chose was small, perched on a patio near the water's edge.  The tabel they received gave them a halfway decent view of the ocean, and a small pthway led down to a larger open area that afforded a much more scenic vista.  For all its seeming splendor, it was reasonably priced, and it wasn't long before both men had meals in front of them.

  
In addition to the food, León had also taken the liberty of ordering a carafe of the local sangria, the brunette man turning his glass to admire the chilled dark red liquid for a moment or two before putting it to his lips and taking a healthy mouthful.  Abel had ordered tea for himself, sweetened very heavily.  It was a necessity for him that often got him ribbed by his compatriots.  He took their teasing graciously, knowing that at their heart, they didn't really understand that his sweet tooth wasn't entirely voluntary, but a demand put on his body by the Crusnik 02.  


León had joked with him as well, offering to look for some raw sugar cane for the priest to gnaw on. Like the rest of the AX team, León was aware of Abel's other self, though the dark-eyed man had only witnessed the transformation twice during his time with the AX. But it didn't bother him too much; all of them were different in some way, Catarina seeking them out for the purpose of using their special abilities and talents for the protection of the church; and León himself was no exception. It was his talents as a professional soldier that she had sought out, his knowledge of warfare and infiltration that had drawn her attention and given him a reprieve from the hangman's noose.

  
Catarina had arranged for León's sentenced to be commuted from death to a thousand year imprisonment, with each mission León undertook on behalf of the AX taking time off his sentence. León had taken the lady Cardinal's offer; but not because he had been afraid to die, but for other more personal reasons that had nothing to do with the continuation of his own life, and to which only he, Abel and Catarina were privy. He had been one of the last to join the team, his particular skills and talents reserved for cases where they could be put to the best use.

Unlike Hugue, who tended to work alone and go his own way, León was almost always partnered with another member of AX, more often then not with Abel. Though he sometimes played the fool, the pale-haired priest had quickly proven himself to be anything but. Abel was quick-thinking, a crack shot and exceptionally quick and nimble. He was also fairly easy going, the kind of person who could get along with almost anyone and who had a lot of compassion for others; and in his Crusnik form, he was nearly unstoppable. The members of AX were a motley group to be sure, a mish-mash of often conflicting personalities, but all of them had one thing in common -- their loyalty to Cardinal Catarina Sforza.

Abel wasn't often assigned partners, since the work he did usually seemed to land him in situations that normal humans, even those in AX, weren't able to handle. The only exception to that tended to be León, a partnering that Abel had the sneaking suspicion was often as much to make sure Abel had someone watching his back as it had to do with them providing "insurance" that León wouldn't try to escape. And Abel knew that, if he had to be partnered with anyone, especially after the Barcelona incident, he couldn't have asked for a more comfortable choice than León.

León too liked working with Abel, even before the two of them had become lovers, the blue-eyed priest's friendly open manner a stark contrast to Hugue, who seemed to have an air of perpetual disdain around him.

"You look unusually thoughtful," Abel murmured finally, breaking himself from his thoughts and seeing that León seemed to have wandered off into his own mind as well.

The dark-haired man turned his gaze on the man across from him. "Just enjoying the sunshine." León put the wineglass to his lips once again.

"A nice complement to your drink, judging by the look on your face," Abel said, and smiled a bit. "I don't believe I've ever seen you look so content, León."

"I guess something can be said for a having a glass of decent wine near the ocean."

"The view is lovely, I have to admit."

"It's not bad." León agreed.

Abel took a sip of his tea, made a slight face at the flavor, but settled comfortably in his own seat. Their server returned a few minutes later bearing a tray laden with food which she arranged on the table around the two men before quietly departing. In addition to the spicy rice that seemed to be a staple of the Hispania diet, the other dishes were mostly seafood due to the proximity of the ocean. Abel found a particular mild white fish dish to be most agreeable, though many of the other dishes were far too spicy for his tastes, some of them looking far too innocuous to have the heat they did, and Abel found his eyes watering from the unexpected spice more than once during the meal.

In between chuckles over Abel's apparent slight discomfort, León savored his own meal, his palate long used to the myriad of spices though it had been over seven years since he had last enjoyed some of the authentic dishes of his homeland. The dark-haired man made it a point to take his time to linger over an old favorite, fresh mussels over a bed of saffron rice, whose aroma alone made his dining companion's china blue eyes water.

Abel had long since finished eating himself, and was sipping his tea, deciding there was more enjoyment to be had in watching León savor his meal than in trying to partake of the spicy fare himself. His own appetite had been fleeting anyway, and he sated what was left of it with his drink. León hunted through the mussel shells one last time to make sure he hadn't missed any before pushing his plate back and reaching for his wineglass and taking a rather good sized drink. Abel smiled a bit at that. "Feeling a bit better now?"

The other man grinned. "At least the gnawing hole in my stomach is gone any rate."

Chuckling at that, Abel set down his teacup. "Well, that's something, I suppose," he said.

"I'm usually more agreeable once I've been fed. . .in one way or another."

Still chuckling quietly, the priest leaned in just a little, to ensure his words would be heard by no one but León. "Then I suppose it's a good thing you have me along..."

"Especially when I want seconds and thirds...”

Abel coughed softly, and blushed a little; although he was far from innocent, it was sometimes hard not to get embarrassed by the other man's blunt speech. "Indeed," he said softly, smiling a bit.

León chuckled, his brown eyes seeming to sparkle a bit in the sunlight as he raised his wineglass to his lips and took a drink. The expression ensured Abel's own smile didn't waver or fade, the priest lifting his teacup back up to his own lips. The brunette made a contented sound as he settled back in his chair and rolled his shoulders a bit, the sunlight catching on the gold locket resting just below the hollow of his throat. Abel smiled a little at that, then eventually let his gaze turn toward the ocean again, his expression becoming thoughtful.

León followed the pale-haired man's gaze, taking in the ocean view as well for a bit. "So..." León started. "You ready to go take a look at that church?"

"As...ready as I'm going to be." Abel replied, jarred a little from his thoughts by the question and smiling a bit. "If you're ready to go, that is."

"Not really," the dark-eyed man replied. "But it is why we're here, so I guess we should get to it before it gets too late."

  
"True." Abel took a last swallow of his tea and stood. "We should probably have _something_ to report by the time Sister Kate catches up with us."

Seeing the two men rising from their table, the server hurried over with their check, the young woman thanking the priests for their patronage after Abel paid the bill. Once things had been taken care of, the two men left the outdoor café and headed towards the church, their server more than happy to supply the two with directions as she had counted back Abel's change.

  
  


# # #

  
  


The walk from the café gave Abel plenty of time to mull over the limited information Catarina had given him on the situation. He couldn't begin to imagine what might have ignited such a slaughter in a place where vampires not only existed, but went to worship with humans willingly. It simply didn't make any sense. The path that led to the church was narrow, leading away from the edge of the city and up into a nearby cluster of forest. _No wonder no one knew anything had gone wrong until so late,_ Abel mused to himself as the church finally came into sight. 

The first thing that struck Abel about the building was the size of it. It was a decidedly more modest building than the priest expected, built of some utilitarian gray stone, and apparently made up of two floors. There were several stained glass windows, though their colors and patterns were difficult to discern from the outside. The doors were made of a carefully polished, dark-colored wood. And as León and Abel drew closer, they saw the two guards posted to either side of those double-doors. Abel took notice of the rifles that the two men were carrying, and tensed somewhat. The pleasant expression he wore didn't change, however, even when he found the barrels of both of those rifles leveled at his chest. 

"No unauthorized persons are allowed in the church," one of the guards, a young man with a clean-shaven, slightly sunburned face said. 

One of Abel's hands slid into his robes slowly, and the two guards visibly tensed, their guns held in firmer grips. A moment later, the hand withdrew again, a slim card held between two slender fingers. "This should be all the authorization you need," Abel said. 

While the young man kept his weapon trained on Abel, the other guard stepped forward to examine the card. He was older than his companion, with the sun worn, leathery look of a man who had spent years in the field and survived on more than just luck. Abel watched this older man calmly as he took the ID card and scrutinized it closely. A few seconds seemed to stretch on into an eternity, and Abel didn't start getting nervous until he saw León starting to finger one of the chakram that adorned his wrists impatiently. 

Before Abel had to say anything to try and calm his companion, the guard who had been checking Abel's ID lowered his rifle and handed the card over again. "Forgive me, Father," the man said, in a tone as worn and leathery as his skin. "We were only under orders..." 

Abel held up a hand to quiet the apology, the other hand secreting his ID card away again. "It's quite all right," He said. "But if there's no further proof of authorization I need to show you, my partner and I would like to see the inside of the church before it gets too dark." 

"Yes, Sir, of course." 

"Thank you." 

The two men each stepped over to one of the doors, opening them and holding them open for León and Abel. As the two priests headed inside, Abel stopped and looked at the older guard. "A request, if I may." 

The man nodded. "Of course, Father." 

"I should rather like to be assured that we won't be disturbed throughout our investigation. Do not, under any circumstances, open this door again until we've come back out." 

"Yes, Sir." 

Abel nodded his approval at that, and stepped inside. The interior of the church was dimly lit, even with the sun still shining brightly outside, something Abel immediately attributed to the stained-glass windows. They weren't the typical mural-like windows that were usually found in the higher end churches, but free-form mosaics of multi-colored glass that had seemed to have little rhyme or reason to them. The light that passed threw them fell across the floor in faded patches, giving the place a melancholy air, even without the chaos, and the abundance of blood and gore, limbs and corpses that littered the aisles and stained the walls, seeming to radiate outward from the small altar at the head of the building. 

"My God..." Abel breathed, bringing up a gloved hand to cover his mouth and nose, as much to try and filter out the stench as in shock. 

"Jesus..." The word whispered from León's lips, the dark-haired man also bringing his hand up to cover his mouth and nose. Though he had seen more than his fair share of blood and gore during his years as a soldier, the carnage that filled the inside of the church made the bile rise slightly in his throat. 

The more Abel looked, the less it all seemed to make sense, his eyes darting across the smears of gore on the wall. "...This doesn't make any sense..." he murmured as he took a slow step forward. Already pale, the priest had gone a shade lighter. The amount of blood, and the ravaged bodies were a sight he had seen far too many times; a Methuselah had gone berserk. Possibly more than one, to cause such complete carnage. But that made no sense. Why would something like that happen here? In such small communities of co-existence, those vampires who couldn't abide by humans typically made their way elsewhere.  


"It's like a slaughterhouse..." León looked down around his feet, the carpet dark with dried blood.   


"It is," Abel agreed softly. "But this...this is over the top...most Methuselah wouldn't waste blood on this kind of senseless carnage."  


_Awash with blood._ Leon had once heard someone use that phrase, but he had never really imagined just what such words could mean until now. The carpet, the walls, the pews, even some of the lower stained glass windows...all of it splashed and spattered with blood, entrails, brain matter and body parts.  
  
"Are you sure it was a vampire?" The dark-haired man asked his companion. "This is beyond even them." 

"I suppose it could have been some kind of summoned creature..." Abel murmured, carefully picking his way down the aisle toward the pulpit, cautious about treading on any of the still recognizable body parts strewn about the floor.  


"I don't like this..." The other man followed Abel, his brown eyes flicking back and forth, taking in the carnage surrounding them.  


"Neither do I..." Abel trailed off, then, becoming aware of a prickling along his skin, something that made him shudder a little.  


León took no notice, his gaze caught by several deep gouges in one of the pews, the dark-haired man pausing to squat down and take a closer look. Abel glanced back at León briefly, then turned his attention forward again, having come to a stop at the foot of the short stairway that led up to the pulpit and the altar. Instead of a cross, or a statue of the Virgin Mary or her blessed Son, there was a massive statue of the archangel Michael, standing with sword upraised, unearthly beautiful face twisted in an expression of rage. The statue had been carefully painted, and the sword seemed almost real, the "blade" catching the light now and again. Both angel and sword were as washed in blood as the rest of the building, and it gave Abel a chill to realize that the blood didn't look terribly out of place.  


His companion was still crouched down in front of the pew, León running his fingertips over the deep grooves in the dark wood, the marks looking relatively fresh despite the blood that had dried in them. The prickling along his skin grew worse, and Abel reached up absently to rub his upper arms, thinking perhaps he had just gotten a chill. His ears were starting to ring, too, the tone low, almost in the background of his thoughts. 

"...Can you hear that, León?" He asked.  


"Huh?" The brunette lifted his head and looked over towards the pale-haired man. "Hear what?" He asked as he stood back up.  


"I'm...not quite sure," Abel said, his head tilting a little. "It's almost like a tone....but it's so faint...."  


León cocked his head a bit as well as he concentrated. After a few moments he shook his head. "I don't hear anything."  


"Perhaps I"m imagining it, then," Abel murmured.  


"Maybe its the souls of these people." The brown-eyed man said. "Crying out for vengeance and all that."  


"Perhaps." There was a note of hollowness to Abel's words, his tone almost absent-minded as he walked slowly up those three stairs. The ringing grew steadily worse as he did, making him wince a little, the tiny prickling along his skin starting to amplify a little more, too, the sensation bordering on painful.  


León's eyes lingered on the other man for a moment or two, until Abel ascended the stairs. Leaving the ivory-haired priest to his own devices, León moved to take a closer look at one of the bodies that was still more or less intact. Although, intact might have been too generous a word, León thought as he looked at the body lying twisted on the blood drenched carpet. One arm was gone, looking to have been ripped off judging by the torn flesh and splintered bone where it would have been joined to the shoulder. The corpse's head had nearly been shorn from its shoulders, the blood covered visage attached to its neck by a piece of flesh no thicker than León's thumb. The man had also been eviscerated, his entrails spilling out of a gaping hole in his midsection. 

The carnage up on the small dais was on par with what the rest of the room had seen, an overturned bowl of communion wafers and a spilled bottle of wine the only things that stood out aside from the sheer volume of blood. "This doesn't make any sense," He murmured to himself, his eyes scanning the room slowly again, trying to see the church as the priest might have before his untimely end.  


It wasn't the wanton slaughter that made the bile rise in León's throat however. As a soldier during the Moroccan War of Independence, León had seen and participated in numerous battles and seen the carnage left in their wake. The dead littering the ground under the hot Moroccan sky, the dying gurgling out their last breath, the moans of the wounded...he had seen and survived it all. But there had always been one thing that had made him feel sick to his stomach afterward. 

_Flies_. Swarms of them feasting on the blood of the dead, filling the air with the buzzing of hundreds of wings, their fat bloated bodies circling over the battlefield for days; and as León had crouched down to look at the body in the church, several of the black insects rose up from the corpse, buzzing angrily in his face before he waved them off with a curse. 

The sound drew Abel's attention immediately, his eyes turning to the dark-haired man. The fair-haired priest was starting to feel a little light-headed, and reached out to steady himself against the pulpit as he did, his palm resting on a heavy metal cross being used to keep the book open. That faint pain exploded into a roar of agony, and Abel gasped sharply, jerking his hand back and staggering back a step in surprise.  


León looked up at the dais. "Abel?"   


Abel barely heard León's voice, the ringing in his ears almost deafening now, the air around him starting to crackle with building energy, a power familiar but unbidden starting to rise in the priest.  


León straightened up, his dark eyes on the other man. "Abel?"   


Unable to reply, Abel wrapped his arms around himself, closing his eyes and trying to reestablish his control over the Crusnik nano-machines, which seemed to be activating on their own. A soft voice in his mind, one as familiar as his own, spoke to him. "Crusnik 02 activated," it said. "Eighty-percent power limitation acknowledged."  


"Abel?" The dark-haired man's voice rose in volume as he moved towards the dais.  


"L-León...." Abel staggered back another few steps before falling to his knees, his dark-feathered wings bursting from his back, his hair standing on end from the bio-electricity surging around him, the suddenness of the nano-machine activation drawing a pained scream from the priest's lips.  


"What the hell...ABEL!" León rushed to the other man, covering the three steps leading up to the dais in two long strides. 

Abel was bent double, on his knees with his forehead nearly touching the floor, clutching at his sides as the wings stretched out to their fullest, the Crusnik's eyes glowing brightly as a fresh surge of pain made him gasp.  


"Damn it..." León stopped a few feet away from the other man, slipping one of his chakram from his wrist and into his hand. He didn't know what was happening, but if Abel was activating his Crusnik nano-machines then it meant that there was trouble. 

Abel released his side with one hand, using the freed appendage to brace himself against the floor, gasping for breath, a sharp cough bringing blood to his lips. "L-León...."  


"What is it?" The other man asked as he started kneel down next the pale-haired man, feeling a slight tingle along his skin from the kinetic energy surrounding Abel. "What's wrong?"  


"Can't...control it...." Abel gasped out, his fingers digging at the patch of carpet under his hand, the elongated nails tearing furrows down to the wood. "Something is...wrong...."  


León started to reach out towards the priest, hesitating slightly, and as abruptly as it all had started, the sudden transformation began to die away again, the crackling energy around Abel fading, the wings themselves starting to dissolve as Abel collapsed soundlessly to his side, a thin stream of blood trickling from one corner of his mouth. 

"Abel!" Cursing under his breath, León reached to check Abel's pulse, pressing his fingers against the artery in the other man's neck, nearly sighing in relief when he found one, though it was faint. There was still a faint residue of electricity, weak enough to be nothing but static, and it made a soft crackling sound as León's fingers touched Abel's skin.  


Satisfied that the other man's pulse was steady, León sat back on his heels, unsure as whether he should try moving the unconscious man or not. "C'mon, Four-eyes," he said softly. "Don't crap out on me now." It was several minutes before there was any sign of life in the man, but when he finally managed to crack his eyes open again, Abel's gaze was its usual pale blue. "Abel?" León's voice was soft as he looked at the other man, checking for signs of recognition.  


"L...León...." Abel rasped, his eyes swimming in and out of focus, the pupils dilating and contracting a little as they struggled.  


"The one and only." The other man said with a nod of his dark head.  


A faint, momentary smile touched Abel's lips before fading again. "We...we should go...." he whispered. "While...I can sustain the nano-machines...."  


"Can you sit up?"  


Abel closed his eyes again, trying to sit up, only to grasp his head with a soft sound. "With...help, I think."

León shifted and slipped his arms under and around the ivory-haired man and gently lifted him up, Abel's much slighter form light in his arms. Once he as actually upright, it seemed to help, though the priest still leaned against León. 

"T-thank you..."  


"Just sit still for a couple minutes." The brunette man instructed, his dark eyes on Abel's face, the priest's normally pale complexion even more so with a slight undertone of green. Abel closed his eyes, trying to shut out the sight of the slaughter around the two of them, giving a tiny nod. After a few moments, León slipped one of his arms away, though he continued to support Abel's back with the other. Several more minutes passed before Abel tried to move again, sitting up a little more and opening his eyes. 

"What the hell happened?" León asked when he saw that the other man was looking a bit more alert.  


"Truthfully...I'm not quite sure," Abel murmured softly. 

The other man didn't pursue the subject any further, deciding that it would probably be better to wait until later, when Abel didn't look or seem so shell-shocked. Instead, León waited for a few more minutes before he suggested that the other man try to stand up. Again, Abel required assistance, clinging to León's arm as the man rose to his feet, pulling Abel up with him. Once the priest got to his feet, it took a few moments for him to get steadied, León not letting go of him. As soon as Abel was able to stay on his feet, he gave León's arm a gentle squeeze. "Let's go," He murmured.  


The dark-haired man nodded before he gently started moving the two of them off the dais, letting Abel set the pace as they slowly descended the steps and made their way back up the center aisle and towards the front doors. Abel's steps were slow but steady, the man's balance good. It was mostly the exhaustion that was starting to set in that got to him, leaving him holding onto León's arm in a gentle but firm grip. 

The two eventually made their way to the front doors, León kicking the thick carved wood with the sole of his boot, not wanting to let go of the pale-haired man. "Open up!" He called out to the guards on the other side.  


The two men wasted no time in hauling the twin doors open, looking curiously at the two AX members as they did so; both had heard the screaming, but neither had wanted to disobey Abel's orders to see what was going on. León's lips were pressed in a tight line as he helped Abel through the doors. "Lock it back up." He gruffly instructed the guards.  


"Sir," the guards chorused, and as the younger moved to comply, the older looked to León. "Is he all right?"  


"He's fine." The brunette replied. "A little too much communion wine." Without another word, León and Abel slowly made their way down the front steps.  


The guard didn't believe that story for a moment, but he let it pass, watching as the two men made their way back down the path toward the city. 

While the two priests had only earned a few looks as they had passed by earlier, their return trip drew much more attention. People murmured as the two slowly made their way down the sidewalk, pointing at Abel and no doubt speculating as to what might be wrong with him. The priest kept his head down, letting his bangs fall across his face to hide the thin trail of blood that had dried on his face. He could hear the townspeople murmuring, but he paid them little heed, his attention strictly on putting one foot in front of the other and not passing out.

 

# # #

 

The climb up the stairs to their room proved to be an experience in itself, Abel's strength rapidly fading the closer they got to the door. León was near to carrying the other man's slighter form by the time they reached their room. Had the priest been by himself, he would have been forced to crawl from the door to his bed, and it was only because León didn't just abandon him at the door that he didn't. Once the two managed to maneuver his almost dead weight over to the bed, he sank down heavily into the mattress with a quiet moan.  


León tossed the room key onto the table, the dark-eyed priest having had to search through Abel's coat to find it, before turning back towards the pale-haired man. Abel's eyes were closed, his breathing slow and shallow, lying extremely still, though he didn't seem quite unconscious yet. The brunette knelt down next to the other man's bedside, his eyes flicking over Abel's prone form, concerned. León couldn't remember ever seeing the man look so drained after a transformation. _But then again, he said he couldn't control it this time.  
_

The noise of León moving around beside him made Abel make a soft sound, his head lolling toward the dark-haired priest, one pale eye cracking open a sliver. That fuzzy soft blue gaze met Leon's chocolate brown eyes, the concern on the man's face easy to see. "León....are you...all right?"  


"Shouldn't _I_ be the one asking _you_ that?"  


"I'll...I'll be all right. I wasn't in any kind of shape to sustain such a high level of power for very long," Abel whispered.  


"It was long enough to almost scare the hell out of me." The other man said.  


"I'm sorry..."  


"I said _almost,_ " León reiterated.  


Abel gave a small nod at that. "Still, I'm glad you're all right...."  


"You should be worried about yourself, not me."  


"I'll be fine...I just need rest..."  


León nodded. Reaching out, he gently removed the ivory-haired man's glasses. Folding them carefully, he set them to rest on the headboard of the bed. The gentle attention made Abel smile faintly again and his eyes slid closed as he settled back into the pillow, already mostly asleep. The dark-haired man remained kneeling at his bedside for a bit, his brown eyes on Abel's sleeping face. As Abel drifted off into sleep, his expression eased, almost peaceful in spite of the experience he had just been through. 

Straightening, Leon softly stepped away from the priest's bedside and moved towards the window, the panes still open from earlier. Leaning against the frame, he felt the warm sunshine on his face as he mulled over what had happened in the church.

 

# # #

  

Abel remained mostly unconscious for the next two days, waking only briefly now and then to take a few sips of water before passing out again. He didn't seem to be in pain anymore, and there was no more blood. He actually seemed to be improving in his unconscious state, and when he finally woke at the end of those two days, Abel felt better, though he was voraciously hungry. That told him that it was the Crusnik that had healed him, the nano-machines repairing him while he had slept.   
  
His recollection of his trip to the church with León was fragmented. He remembered arriving at the church well enough. And he could recall the confrontation with the guards clearly. But everything after he and León had actually entered the church was hazy and indistinct. He had dim recollections of his Crusnik activating, though he couldn't remember having made the choice to do so. He remembered León, his concerned expression. He remembered the dark-haired man lending him strength to leave the church, then his recollections became clear again alighting most pleasantly on the gentle treatment he'd had before the exhaustion had stolen him into darkness completely.  


Still unsure as to just what had happened to Abel, León had stayed with him over the course of the two days, leaving the other man only when he had to, and then only for short periods of time. The dark-haired man had even forgone doing any work on their investigation, not wanting to leave his partner alone in case the strange occurrence happened again. It didn't, and it also meant that León was nearby when Abel woke, and levered himself up on one elbow.  


Seated at the small table under the window, León had his back to the other man, his chin resting in his palm as he looked out the open panes, a slight breeze ruffling the light curtains as well as the brown-eyed man's long mane of hair. Sitting on the table in front of him was a half-empty carafe of dark red wine, an empty glass next to it. Abel shifted himself slowly into a full sitting position at that, his robes rustling softly as he moved. Despite his attention being drawn somewhere else, León's warrior-honed instincts and reflexes immediately zeroed in on the slight sound, the big man nearly spinning in his chair, prepared to launch himself out of the chair if need be. Abel blinked at that, his hands starting to come up as if to defend himself."Abel..." The big man said softly, relaxing back into his seat.  


"Just me," Abel agreed softly, nodding.  


"How're you feeling?" León asked.  


"Better....famished, but better." Abel sat up, and put his head to his forehead as a small wave of dizziness passed. 

The other man started to rise from his chair. "Are you sure you should be sitting up?"  


"Yes...I'm just a little woozy. Low blood sugar and all," Abel explained, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths, waiting for that short wave of dizziness to pass. León finished rising to his feet, the dark-haired man moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "Once I've eaten something, I should be fine," Abel murmured, then looked to the man. "How long have I been unconscious?"  


"Two days."  


Abel's eyes widened in shock at that, and he looked at Leon in amazement.  


"You came to a few times," the other man continued. "But I don't think you were really conscious."  
  
"I don't remember waking up very clearly....except for once....have you been standing vigil over me this entire time?"  


León shrugged. "I didn't want you weirding out again."  


"...Thank you."  


The dark-haired man shrugged his broad shoulders once again. Abel fell silent at that, and lowered himself back down into the mattress again. "We're going to be horribly behind in our investigation..."  


"Wouldn't be the first time." León said with a small smile.   


"And I suppose it's not like we can't make up for the lost time," Abel replied with a weak smile of his own.  


"Working our butts off in triple time."  


"Wouldn't be the first time, as you said," Abel said. "We've still got the upper floors of the church to check, at least...."  


"You want to go back there?" León asked.  


Abel nodded. "I think we should. We weren't anywhere near done looking it over before."  


"Another two days of those corpses rotting away...man, that's asking a lot of even me." The brown-eyed man grimaced.  


"You could always head into town, talk to whoever found the church like that...any witnesses Lady Catarina may not have known about and the like."  


"While you do what?"  


"One of us needs to finish checking through that church, León," Abel said. "I can if you'd rather not."  


"You going off by yourself might not such a good idea." León said. "Especially after what happened."  


Abel had to nod at that; there was something to León's logic, especially since Abel still didn't have the faintest idea what had caused the oddity to begin with. The brunette man scrubbed a hand through is long dark hair. "Then I guess we stay together."  


"I suppose we could request to have the bodies removed before we go back," Abel murmured. "I'm sure the townspeople have been waiting anxiously for the chance to attend to their dead."  


"What's left of them." León said grimly.  


"...Yes," Abel admitted, nodding.  


"So we hit the church, the local authorities...anything else?"  


"Nothing that comes right to mind," Abel said, draping an arm over his eyes.  


"You look like you're going to pass out again." León's dark brown eyes watched the other man.  


"I need to eat soon."  


"I'll go out and get you something." The brunette offered.  


"If it's not too much trouble," Abel said, and smiled a bit. "Much easier than taking me out to it, I suppose."  


"If I have to keep carrying you over the threshold, rumors will start flying."  


"Likely they already have," Abel replied with a weak smile.  


León snorted. "They all think you're the new town drunk."  


Abel was silent at that for several long minutes before he replied. "Well...better that than knowing the truth..." he finally murmured. 

The dark-haired man fell silent as well for a short time. "Let me go get some dinner." He said as he rose to his feet.  


"Thank you," Abel said, grateful for the excuse to leave his other train of thought behind.  


"Why don't you try to rest some more while I'm gone."  


"I think...I will," Abel said, nodding.  


León's dark gaze rested on Abel's prone form for a few moments before the broad-shouldered man turned away and made his way to the front door of their room.

 

# # #

  

Abel resumed his dozing for a time after León departed, but never quite managed the same deep sleep he had during the last two days. He still felt dizzy, but attributed this to simple hunger. Although he was still feeling a little shaky, he managed to sit up and stay there. He had hoped that, once he had been awake for awhile, it might get easier to stay upright, and he wanted to be so when León returned. Although the man hadn't said anything, Abel could tell he had been worried, and he didn't wish to exacerbate that worry if he could help it. Especially since he had no way of explaining just what had happened.  


Out on the street, León took a bit of time checking out the various food stalls and cafés around their hotel, though he had become fairly familiar with some of them over the past two days while Abel had been unconscious. Though originally from Moroccan territory of Hispania, much farther south, this was the first time that León had been back to the country of his birth since Catarina had arranged to have his sentence mitigated to imprisonment instead of death, and it felt a bit odd. The familiar smells and sights, while not exactly like those of his hometown, were similar enough to make him feel an unexpected pang of homesickness. But there was nothing left for him in Hispania, everything that he once held dear was gone either into the arms of God or the care of the church, leaving him only the AX.  


Abel wished he had known how long León had been gone, concerned for the man. He wondered if León had been as uncomfortable with the idea of this mission as Abel himself was, if for very different reasons. 

In truth, León had taken the news of the assignment with a somber face, Wordsworth having come to make the offer instead of Abel, which was in itself unusual. The other man had not had to press León very hard to agree, the former Moroccan more than ready for some time out of prison despite his intended destination. 

Eventually León retraced his steps back towards the hotel, stopping along the way to purchase several things, the broad-shouldered man laden with a large bag as he quietly opened the door to the room he was sharing with Abel, having taken the key from the pale-haired priest as well as his coin purse.  


Abel looked over toward the door as León entered the room. "Welcome back," He said softly.  


León was a bit surprised to see the other man up. "Sorry I took so long." He said as he moved to set the bag down on the table, pushing the wine carafe and glass out of the way.  


"It's all right. I didn't really know how long it had been, since I was asleep for some of it."  


"I brought you some food." The dark-haired man began to unpack the bag, taking out several cartons as well as a glazed terracotta jug.  


"No live coals masquerading as a meal again, right?" Abel asked, a little wary of the food after his last experience with it.  


León chuckled. "More like glowing embers this time." In actuality, León had chosen items that were more bland and light, suspecting that Abel more than likely wouldn't be ready for a heavy meal.  


"I'm not sure whether to thank you or call you a sadist," Abel said, but smiled to temper the words. "Seeing as how you were kind enough to go get the food, I think I'll settle for the former."  


"There's some tea in the jug." The broad-shouldered man starting opening the containers on the table. "Be careful with it though." He cautioned. "I had to leave a deposit on it." Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a plain glazed cup and held it out to Abel. "The mug too."  


"Thank you," Abel said, slowly shifting to the edge of the bed, and putting his feet down on the floor. León looked at the other man for a moment before turning back to the table. Gripping the edge of the tabletop, he pulled it closer towards the bed. Abel blinked at that, and smiled a bit. "You didn't have to do that, you know," he said.  


The brown-haired man shrugged his shoulders and reached to pull one of the chairs over before resuming the unpacking. The dishes that León had brought included a seafood soup with shrimp and scallops, a loaf of fresh baked bread, and a local staple, rice, which had been lightly seasoned. There was nothing in the meal that smelled dangerous, and as hungry as Abel was, he found the scents to be very pleasant indeed. "You really did ease up this time around," he said softly.  


"You were such a lightweight the last time." León sat down at the opposite side of the table, the dark-eyed man shrugging off his overcoat, leaving it to hang sloppily over the back of the chair.  


"Just because I don't drink molten lava on a regular basis doesn't mean I'm a lightweight," Abel said, smiling a bit.  


The other man chuckled. "You'd rather drink melted sugar."  


"I've already told you, that's hardly my fault," The priest looked a little indignant. "I have to keep my blood sugar up, after all."  


"Yeah, yeah." León pushed a fork and spoon towards the pale-haired man.   


Abel let it go, smiling a bit to himself; this kind of banter was something he had missed terribly since his last mission with León, and it felt comfortable, and familiar. The broad-shouldered man reached for the bread and tore of a hunk of it before dipping it in his container of soup, letting it soak up the tomato-based broth before taking a hearty bite. Abel took a piece of the bread himself, deciding it would probably be the best way to ease himself into the meal, lest his body rebel at a two day fasting, however unintentional it had been.  


León dug into the meal heartily not having had anything to eat yet that day. Though a bit blander than he would have liked, the soup was hearty and filling, the dark-eyed man unobtrusively glancing at Abel as he ate to see how the man was faring. He seemed to be doing all right, working through the food slowly but steadily, pausing now and again to appreciate a new flavor. When he was certain his hands would be steady enough, he poured a mug of the tea and sipped it quietly, feeling decidedly better than when he had woken up. Satisfied with what he saw, León refilled his wine glass, emptying what was left in the carafe. 

"We should go back to the church, or at least to the local authorities, tomorrow," Abel said thoughtfully, glancing out and noting the dimming sky. "I'd rather have better light before we go back in." The other man nodded as he took a drink. "Have you sent any word in to the Vatican? They might get worried if they haven't heard anything."  


"No." León replied. "There really wasn't much to report, except what happened to you; and I wasn't really sure how much of that you wanted them to know."  


"Nothing yet," Abel admitted. "Not until I can determine what happened."  
  
"You know what they say, no news is good news."  


"Let's hope they see it the same way," Abel said, and smiled a bit. "Hopefully we'll turn up something to report tomorrow."  


"And if not?" León's brown eyes rested on the pale-haired priest.  


"Then we'll report in and tell them we have nothing to report," Abel replied. "I don't want to worry Lady Catarina or the others. Not after last time."  


The broad-shouldered man nodded. "Feeling better?" He asked after a few quiet moments.  


"Decidedly so," Abel replied, nodding. "Thank you again. For all of this."  


León shrugged. "No big deal."  


Abel only nodded at that; he knew arguing with the man about it would be pointless, and he didn't want to try. It still meant a great deal to him that León had cared for him. The dark-eyed man pushed the now empty soup container away from him. Reaching for his wineglass once again, he twirled it between his fingers before putting it to his lips and draining the last mouthful. It wasn't often that he was allowed the luxury of enjoying good wine. 

Abel took a sip of his tea, and looked at León for a moment, before a thought struck him. "Why is it you're the one who's had a glass of wine in your hand since we arrived, but _I_ ended up the new town drunk?"  


León grinned. "I'm not the one who who was stumbling down the street like he had just raided the communion wine."  


"I'm not the one _telling_ people I was, either," Abel replied wryly, remembering that little snatch of conversation between the dark-haired man and one of the guards.  


"It was either that or the truth. Take your pick."  


Abel nodded. "I'm not faulting the wisdom of the choice."  
  
"Look on the bright side," León said. "There are a lot worse things people could think you were other than a drunk."  


"The obvious answer to that aside, like what?"  


The other man thought for a moment or two. "That you were infected with some contagious disease?" He offered up.  


Abel considered that. "Touché." Leon only smiled. Abel smiled a little back. "I must be off my game," he murmured. "You've been able to out-argue me far too often."  


"Getting slow in your old age?"  


"Says the man who calls me 'junior'," Abel said and grinned. "So if I'm old that makes you, what, ancient?"  


León snorted. "I'm in the prime of my life."  


"So you say," Abel said, unable to help but poke a little fun at the man; it wasn't often he was able to provoke him thus.  


"So I know."  


"And just how do you know that? Carrying me hardly qualifies as a feat." 

"No," León agreed. "But keeping up with you sometimes does." 

Abel chuckled. "I suppose there's something to that." 

The brunette raised his eyebrow at the pale-haired man.

"What?" 

León snorted and shook his head. "Never mind." He replied, with a slight chuckle. 

"What, all I'm saying is...." The priest trailed off. "You weren't speaking in a general sense, were you?" 

The other man's chuckle segued into laughter. That was all the answer Abel needed, and he flushed. León smiled at the reaction, the brown-eyed man always quite pleased with himself whenever he could pull a blush from the priest. 

"You're incorrigible." 

"Tell me something we don't both already know." The dark-eyed man's smile slid into a roguish looking grin. 

Abel chuckled softly, averting his gaze a little as he waited for the blush to fade again. León chuckled as well before pushing his chair back and rising to his feet before he started to clean up the table, tossing the empty food containers into the bag that he carried them in. Eventually settling back with his tea comfortably in hand, Abel looked up once the blush had faded, watching León as he worked.  


It didn't take León long to get everything cleared away, the only remaining items on the table being his empty wineglass and carafe and the earthenware jug containing Abel's tea. After leaving the bag in the hall for the hotel staff to take care of, he then returned to move the table and chair back to their place under the window. Abel watched him, waiting until the table and chair were in place again before he spoke. 

"This is unusually domestic of you, León," he said, his tone light. "It's not a side of you I'm accustomed to." 

"When you live in a place that's twelve by twelve," the dark-haired man said. "You kinda get in the habit of wanting to keep things clean." 

"Hm...something to that, though I hadn't meant it quite that way," Abel murmured softly. 

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I probably would've left it for you to take care of." 

Abel shook his head a little, but smiled faintly and looked at the man. "I appreciate all you've been doing for me. This was not how I'd intended to start our investigation here." 

"Hopefully we can get back on track tomorrow before Catarina sends somebody out after us." Leon said as he looked down at the priest. 

Abel nodded. "Yes. If something...odd happens again, I'd rather not have Tres, or worse Hugue, here to see it." 

The dark-haired man nodded in agreement. "Tres would be more likely to shoot first and ask questions later." 

"Precisely." Abel stood slowly as he finished speaking, making his way with careful steps over to the table to refill his tea. "And really, Hugue isn't much better." 

"I still can't get that place out of my mind." León said as his brown eyes followed the pale-haired man's movements. "It was just so...” he shook his head. "I've seen victims of rogue vampires before, but...that was even beyond that." 

Abel nodded, setting his mug down carefully on the table and laying his hand on the surface of it to steady his balance. "This isn't like anything I've ever seen before," he said. "This goes beyond a rogue...even a group of them...it's like the Methuselah went berserk." 

"But it still goes back to _why_." 

"If it had happened anywhere else, I might have guessed starvation. But this goes even beyond what I've seen when a vampire is driven to desperate straits...." Abel was thoughtful as he refilled his cup, his movements slow, ever mindful of the pottery León had put the deposit down on . "Especially among church-going Methuselah..." 

León nodded. "But in a place like this, you should be able to get blood substitute in just about every corner store." 

"That's what I mean," Abel said, nodding. "As close-knit as this place seems to be, it would seem like the church would step in to help even its vampire members if they fell on hard times. So this....this makes no sense...and the only thing I can think of is that it has something to do with the oddness that cropped up while we were there." 

"With what happened to you."

  
Abel nodded. "It's just a gut feeling. I can't back it up with anything concrete, but it's what I think." 

León looked thoughtful for a few moments before he spoke again. "Do you think it could be some kind of virus? Something that accelerates the virus that the Methuselah already have?" 

"Anythings a possibility," Abel replied. "But how could something like that be administered? It's not like the vampires can take communion...." 

"I don't know," the other man said. "How do people usually get sick? Touching hands or something that somebody that is already sick touches. You make it sound like it was on purpose." 

"I suppose that _is_ assuming a bit much," Abel admitted, looking a little sheepish. "I suppose it's hard to look at something like that and not feel like it is....another gut feeling, I suppose." 

"All these gut feelings, you're going to give yourself a bellyache." 

Abel chuckled softly. "And wouldn't that round out my day nicely?" He asked, before wavering a little, his hand going to his head as the room tilted. 

"Abel?" León stepped towards the pale-haired man. 

"I'm all right," Abel said, leaning back against the edge of the table just a little. "Just...a little light-headed."

"Maybe you better lay back down." 

"Yes...I think I should," Abel murmured, pushing slowly away from the table and taking an unsteady step back toward the bed. 

"Here... León slipped his arm around the priest's slim waist.

  
Abel leaned a little against the other man gratefully. "...Thank you," he murmured. The dark-haired man gently maneuvered Abel back towards the bed, and Abel shook his head. "I suppose it was wishful thinking to hope one meal would be enough to fix this...." 

"You look better than you have the past two days anyway."

"Decidedly less like a corpse, I'm sure." 

"If you hadn't been breathing..." León helped the ivory-haired man sit down on the edge of the bed. 

"Sorry if I gave you a spook," Abel said, looking up at León over the top of his glasses as he got settled. 

"Maybe just a little one." The other man said as he met the priest's china blue gaze. 

Abel reached up, touching León's cheek gently. "Forgive me?" 

León covered Abel's hand with his. "I suppose you owed me one for what happened with the airplane on the way to Never Land Island." He said with a small smile. 

Abel chuckled quietly. "I suppose I did, at that. Scaring me like that...." 

"I guess we're even." 

"For now." 

Bending down, León titled his dark head as he leaned in closer to press his lips to Abel's, who exhaled a quiet sound at that, his eyes falling closed as he returned that gentle kiss. The kiss didn't linger on too long before the dark-haired man broke it. "You should lay down." he said as he pulled back so that he could look at the priest's face. 

"Would you...come lie with me for a little while?" Abel murmured. 

"Only a little while?" 

"At least," Abel said. "Though I wouldn't argue a bit if it were longer." 

"Well I am kind of getting tired of sleeping in the chair." León said. 

"You've been..." Abel shook his head. "Of course...you had to make sure I wasn't going to have another...episode." He smiled a bit. "Let me ask this a different way. Come to bed with me? I think we could both use the rest." 

"I like that invitation much better." León ginned a bit as he rose to his feet. 

Abel laughed softly at that, and nodded, reaching up to remove his glasses. The brunette stepped away for a few minutes to undress before softly padding back over towards the bed. Abel, in the meantime, was in the process of stripping off his robes as well. León had been kind enough to do away with the most uncomfortable layers, but he had no intentions of sleeping in his uniform another night if it wasn't necessary. 

Sliding into the bed, León lent the priest a hand, the two of them quickly divesting the ivory-haired man of his remaining clothing, tossing it into a pile on the floor, he and Abel having both brought extra clothing in their travel packs. Once he was free of the restrictive clothing, Abel settled back into the mattress, immediately scooting closer to León. The brunette pulled the covers up and over them before settling down and slipping his arm around Abel's waist, pulling the pale man closer until the priest's back was pressed up against his chest. 

It made Abel exhale a soft, contented sigh, the slender man comfortable and basking in the warmth that always seemed to radiate off the man like a small sun. He shifted around just a little bit until he lay more comfortably spooned with León, the good meal and favorable company already lulling him into a drowsy state. León laid quietly, listening to his partner's soft breathing. Only when he was sure that Abel had fallen asleep did he allow himself to do the same.


	3. Chapter Three

_Chapter Three_

 

For what seemed like the millionth time since he had left the hotel that morning, Abel Nightroad found himself mentally tallying the things that needed to be done or asked about as he and León approached the station for the local _policia_. They had things to do here, and Abel was still firm about going to the church again, but he had compromised with his partner on the matter, and agreed that they would check with the local authorities, to see for themselves if there were any survivors they could speak to, or any information that might not have made it into the report sent to the Vatican.  


The two of them had awakened mid-morning, still spooned together. They had quickly washed up, neither one of them saying much, intent on setting out to visit with the local authorities and making a follow up visit to the gore-spattered church. On their way however, they did stop for a quick meal, the two of them taking stools in front of a food vendor's cart and wolfing down their meals, Abel's appetite having not diminished from the night before.

  
There was no denying that spending the night in León's arms had had some beneficial side effects. Although he knew he was far from up to par again, Abel felt decidedly better, calmer than he had been in a long time. There had been a grand comfort in waking in the warm embrace of another, especially after the strangeness that had heralded him into darkness originally. 

Abel shook himself from his slight reverie as he and León headed into the station. León followed Abel, the dark-haired man only a step behind the other man at his shoulder, his eyes flicking around the interior of the station as they stepped across the threshold. The desk sergeant looked up as they entered. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" He asked.  Abel nodded. "I'm here to speak with the detective assigned to the case over at the church?"  
  
"I'm afraid he's in a meeting at the moment."  
  
"Will he be long?"  
  
The man glanced at the nearby clock. "Not much longer."  
  
"Thank you, we'll wait. His office is where?"  
  
It was only grudgingly that the two were escorted to a small, cramped office, and left to wait for the detective's arrival. Almost as soon as the door was closed behind them, León began to pace around the small space before pausing at the desk, his dark eyes catching something lying on it. 

The pause in the man's movements caught Abel's attention and he shifted his eyes to León. "What is it?"  


"Something about the church." The other man responded as he glanced back up at Abel.  


Abel moved over to stand beside the dark-haired man. "What?"  


Leon reached for the sheet he had been looking at, offering it to the priest. "Looks like a report on their initial findings."  


Abel took the report and pushed his glasses up onto his nose a little more comfortably as he began to read. The page was indeed a copy of a report filed by the lead officer who had been among the first to be dispatched to the church after several people within the vicinity had reported hearing screams coming from within the gray stone structure. When the police had arrived, they had found the doors locked from the inside and received no response to numerous hails. The lead had dispatched several of his men to check two other sets of doors in and out, in addition to trying to get a look inside from some of the lower windows.  
  
Like the front doors, all the others were found to be locked as well, bolted from the inside. Meanwhile, the police had continued to pound on the door, calling for those within to open the door. The lead on the scene had just summoned for help to break down the door when one of his men had come running from around the side of the church, the man near hysterical and raving. They had been unable to get anything coherent from the officer, the man apparently too shook up by whatever he had seen. When the door had finally been breached, the police had been astonished and horrified by what they had found inside, the chapel strewn with body parts and entrails and the entire interior spattered with blood and gore. More than one, including the lead officer had become ill at the sight. There had been no survivors.  


Abel frowned, and handed the report back to León, before moving to sink into a chair on the "guest" side of the desk. León tossed the page back onto the desktop, the broad-shouldered man leaning against the dark-wood. "Sounds like they don't have any more of a clue then we do."  


"Still, we know a little more than we did...We'll have to examine those doors more closely when we go back."  


The other man nodded and folded his arms over his chest, waiting not one of his strong suits. They didn't have much longer to wait, the detective entering the office a few moments later, looking very tired, and very surprised to see the two men in his office. "Oh, my apologies," he said. "I didn't realize I had guests."  
  
Abel smiled a bit. "We were informed you were at a meeting." 

The detective nodded. "Yes...and you two are?"  
  
Abel produced his ID from his robes, and held it out to the man, who took it, glanced it over and nodded. "Father Nightroad," he said. "I was told to be expecting someone from the Vatican."  


In the interim, León pushed himself away from the desk, the brunette dropping his arms as he moved to join Abel, who smiled as he took his ID back and slipped it away again, then turned his head to indicate León. "This is my partner. I'm sure you can imagine why we're here."  
  
The detective nodded. "To look into the massacre at the church, _s_ _í_ _?_ " The man sighed and sank into his chair. "It's ugly business, and was so unexpected. We've had rather a large number of Methuselah in this town in fluxing numbers, and never had a situation like this come up." 

"But you have had _situations_?" León asked.  


"Small skirmishes, Methuselah who aren't willing to abide by the laws here. Fairly typical crime in the grander scheme of things," the detective said. "But nothing like this. Nothing that even comes close to touching this."  


"You guys were alerted by reports of screams inside the church?" The dark-haired man continued, hoping that the detective might offer up more information then what he and Abel had read.  


"Yes," the detective confirmed, nodding. "We rushed up as quickly as we could, but as I'm sure you know, it's quite a hike to get there, and even more difficult in the dark. All the doors were locked, seemingly from the inside, and no one was responding to our orders to open them."  


"You didn't hear anything from inside? See anyone?"  


"The stained glass makes it almost impossible to see inside easily, even up close. I'm afraid most of it was over by the time I arrived."  
  
"What of the officer who was there first?"  
  
The man shifted uncomfortably at that. "I'm afraid he won't be much help to you. We lost him...that night. He took his own life."  


"Jesus..." the word was barely more than a whisper as it passed León's lips.  


"That poor man," Abel murmured softly.  
  
"I can give you a copy of everything I have regarding the case so far, if you'd like," the detective offered.  


León nodded his dark head. "We'd appreciate that," Abel said, nodding himself. "Were you able to determine anything that might have started it? Unfamiliar individuals attending the church, anything?"  
  
" _Padre_ , we haven't even been in there long enough to try to identify what's left of who's in there..."  


León had just opened his mouth to speak when there was a commotion in the outer office, the sound of raised voices, one in particularly louder than the others, shouting over and over though it was near impossible to make out what it was from inside the detective's office. The detective rose to his feet and headed out of the office, Abel only a pace or two behind him as the man headed for the outer office. Grumbling a bit, León followed after Abel wondering what was going on now. 

The outer office was a scene of confusion, voices shouting back and forth, officers scurrying about; and in the middle of it all was old man, his head nearly bald save a few silver gray strands which were now plastered to his skull with perspiration. As Abel and León drew closer, they could see that underneath his tan, the man was pale, his eyes moist with tears that coursed down his cheeks. The man was trembling, his slightly bent frame quaking in what appeared to be fear as he wrung a dark cap between his hands. Next to the man was a young female officer, the woman with her hand on his shoulder as she spoke to him, though it was impossible to hear what she said amongst all the other voices in the room. The old man didn't seem to be comforted as words continued to fall from his lips, shaking with emotion. "H-Horrible...the people...all the people..."  


Abel stepped away from León and the detective, making his way over to the old man. Usually his presence as a priest tended to calm people, and the man was obviously very distressed. The old man's pale eyes found Abel as the priest approached him, seeing the large cross glittering on his chest and recognizing the robes of a traveling priest. Within seconds he pulled away from the female officer and stumbled towards Abel. 

"Father...please Father...the people..." the man fell to his knees in front the pale-haired man. "Please Father, you must help them."  


Abel knelt quietly and laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "Calm down, please," he said, his tone shifting into his most soothing pitch. "What's happened?"  


The old man turned his tear-filled eyes up. "The people in the church," he started, the din of voices around them having died down a bit as those gathered watched the two men. "Horrible screams...I couldn't get in...door...please Father..." The old man reached and grab onto Abel's hand, gripping it for dear life. "Help them, please."  


"I'll do whatever is within my capabilities," Abel promised, his heart dropping into his stomach as he heard the story falling shakily from those lips. "Take me there."  


The man scrambled to his feet, still gripping Abel's hand. _"Gracias, Padre...gracias..."  
_

Abel rose to his feet as well, and offered the man a faint smile. "Lead the way," he said. "We'll follow. " Then he looked over to León to be sure the man wasn't too far away.  


León nodded his head and moved to join his partner and the old man, the detective meanwhile barking out orders to the assembled officers to go with the priests and the man. Once Abel had seen León's nod, he turned his full attention back to the elderly man again. The man was tugging at the pale-haired man's gloved hand, silently imploring him to follow.

 

# # #

 

The church that the old man led Abel and the others to was different from the first, a more modern-style structure near the heart of the town. That gave the priest something of an ill feeling. To have such a riot break out on the outskirts of the city was bad enough, the idea of one starting in a more heavily-populated area was outright terrifying. Still, Abel kept his reservations to himself as best he was able, not wanting to frighten the poor man who hadn't loosened his grip on the priest's hand even a bit since they'd left the police station.

  
León was only a few strides behind the priest and the old man, the dark-haired man flanked on either side by police officers, with a handful more following behind. Like his partner, the big man had a growing bad feeling the deeper they traveled into the heart of the city, even more so when one of the officers muttered something about their current heading taking them in the direction of the local Methuselah community.

  
It meant the group of them drew a few odd looks as they passed, but for the most part, there were shutters closed and the streets were mostly deserted, no one wanting to get caught up in whatever strangeness going on. The area outside of the building was desolate when the group arrived, an eerie silence hanging in the air. 

The officer on León's left hurried forward, barking out orders to the others, apparently taking charge of the situation. Quickly the officers spread out, surrounding the silent stone building. "Father," he called out to Abel. "Please I'll have to ask you to not go any further."

"No, sir," Abel said, gently prying the old man loose from his hand, laying a hand on his shoulder instead. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Don't let your men into that building, Officer. If it's like the last, it's not a good idea." 

"Father, please...I must ask you..."  
  
"You heard the man." León said, stepping up to lay a hand on the officer's shoulder, halting the man in mid-sentence. 

"León, one of us needs to go inside," Abel said, looking at the dark-haired man. "I think it would be better if I did...I need you to make sure no one tries to follow me in."

  
"Now hold on a minute..." the brunette started, turning his dark eyes on the priest.  


"If there are survivors in there, they'll need help," Abel replied.  


"Which means I should go in too."  


"I need you out here to keep our overzealous _policia_ friends from trying to follow me in."  


The dark-haired man scowled at his partner, though before he could protest further, one of the officers who had been dispatched to check out the grounds around the church returned, the man nearly stumbling as he ran pell mell towards them. The officer fell to his knees before them, his eyes wild, his skin ashen. The man quickly crossed himself. "God have mercy on us all." He gasped out.  
  
"Reyes?" The officer who had stayed with Abel, León and the old man moved forward. "What is it."  
  
"God forbid..." the kneeling man started, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.  


Abel gently took his hand off the shoulder of the old man who had brought them there and stepped forward. "If I need help, León, I'll call for it." was all he said, before heading toward the church.  


"Abel...damn it!" León ground out with a slight snarl. 

Abel ignored the man's outburst; it was easier, somehow, than having to pull rank on him. As he drew closer to the church, he kept his pale eyes peeled for the other officers who had also been dispatched. The priest carefully made his way up the short set up steps that led to the front door of the quiet building, León and the others watching, the big brunette AX agent still scowling. He should have known that Abel would insist on going in alone; and when he took a moment to think it over, it did seem to be the most logical thing to do. If there was something going on inside the church, keeping the officers outside where they had less of a chance of becoming potential victims made sense. 

Abel started to reach for one of the doorknobs, when he realized the door was actually already open a fraction. It wasn't much at all, but it worried him. He stepped forward, grasping the knob and pushing on the door.  
  
It wouldn't budge.  
  
The priest frowned at that, and pushed again, putting more force behind it this time. Still, it wouldn't move. It made Abel want to swear in frustration but he didn't dare; there were far too many people around for that. So he settled for fighting with the door instead, trying to get it open just enough he could squeeze through.

  
Though the carved wooden doors were thick, it wasn't the weight that was causing the trouble however. There appeared to be something blocking the door from the other side. The other door was locked, but Abel managed to slip a hand around to trip the lock, and when he went to try the other door, he also found it blocked, same as the first. Frowning, he managed to shoulder both doors open enough to admit him; and, trying to brace himself for what he was about to find, slipped inside.

  
As soon as he slipped inside the silent building, it was apparent that something was wrong. Almost immediately, Abel was hit with the scent of blood, the iron tang of it literally saturating the air. On the other side of the carved wooden doors, he also found what had been blocking them, the butchered corpse of a man, his right arm severed, his face frozen in a look of horror. The back of the door was smeared with bloody hand prints, the scarlet rivulets still dripping down the dark wood. 

  
"God have mercy," Abel breathed, covering his mouth with a hand and slowly stepping further into the building. "Hello?" He called out, his voice seeming far too loud in the silence. 

The priest was met with only quiet and a scene of carnage that easily rivaled that of the first church. The walls, the pews, the floor, everywhere that Abel looked or stepped there was blood, still dripping and pooling around and under him. It was unnerving at best, and downright disgusting at worst. But not all the blood was human; Abel's senses picking that up right away. Much of it was Methuselah, and it pricked at the edges of his consciousness, reminding him of how long it had been since the Crusnik 02 had last been properly fed. He shoved that thought to the side viciously, and continued his silent hunt for survivors.

  
Outside, León and the others waited, the dark-eyed AX agent quite impatiently, big man still scowling and grumbling as he toyed with the chakram on his wrist. The rest of the officers had returned all reporting that they had found no one nor any signs of anything out of place save for all of the windows and doors being locked. Those who had been able to get a look inside the church however, had all come back pale as a proverbial ghost, crossing themselves and muttering prayers while looking at León as if expecting him to do something. The brunette ignored them for the most part, only glancing at them long enough to read their faces, their horrified looks telling him all he needed to know about what had gone down inside the church. 

As he checked between each of the pews, and in small nooks where toppled statues had stood, Abel couldn't help but feel the same faint prickling over his skin. And like before, it grew stronger the closer he got to the pulpit. Although this church wasn't bound to Michael, the building still sported the statue of an angel. It was another statue of Michael, his pale marble hands clasping a sword, the blade facing downwards, pointing towards the floor. Abel tore his eyes away from the statue as something else caught his attention for the first time, the nearly inaudible sound of shallow breathing. "Hello?" he called out again.  


The pale-haired priest received a faint, nearly inaudible gurgle in reply though there was no sign of movement. That was enough to give Abel some idea of where to start looking, though, and he moved off in the direction of the sound. Moving among the bodies, the priest's heightened senses eventually lead him to a blonde-haired man, the body half-draped across that of a dark-haired woman. Abel gasped in a breath when he saw that, and moved toward the huddled figure. The man's clothes were slashed and blood-drenched, his chest soaked with crimson from numerous puncture wounds, the dark blood pooling around his prone figure. Abel tried not to pay attention to that as he rushed toward the man, kneeling near him. "Sir?" He asked, softly, reaching out and touching the man's shoulder.  


A choked sound came from the figure, the shoulder under the pale-haired man's hand trembling. As gently as he could, Abel moved to turn the man over. The injured man let out a soft yet strangled cry, the reason quite apparent as he was rolled onto his back, his right hand and forearm pressed against a slash that had opened him from hip to hip. As grisly a sight as that was, Abel also got his first view of the woman underneath the blonde man, her throat torn out, the skin shredded and torn, her blue eyes wide and sightless. Still clutched in her hand, the slim blade glistening with damp scarlet was a knife. Abel could do little more than stare in mute shock for a time, before he called out for León and then turned his attention completely back to the male. "What's happened here?" Abel whispered softly.  


The man slowly turned dark, pain-filled green eyes towards the priest, a set of deep scratches down the side of what had been a handsome face, his mouth smeared with blood. Parting his still wet glistening lips, he tried to speak, revealing in the process very sharp and elongated canine teeth. Abel's eyes flicked from the man to the woman, and was unsurprised to note that she was human. It was the same as what had happened in the church before, Methuselah and Terran slaughtered alike. But he pushed that aside almost immediately, and leaned in to try and listen to the dying vampire speak.  


Pushing against the front doors, León shoved one of them open a bit more allowing the big man to squeeze through the opening and inside, his gun out and held out before him as he did so. Like Abel before him, the smell of blood hit him immediately, the brown-eyed man swearing softly as he got his first look at the slaughter inside the church.  
  
"Abel?"  


"Over here, León," Abel replied softly, leaning up a little before turning his full attention back to the dying Methuselah again. "Please, you must tell me what's happened...what started all of this...." It wasn't just the vampire's low tone that was making it difficult for Abel to listen. The priest was starting to hear the same ringing in his ears as he had last time. A part of him knew he should get the hell out of the church while he could, but with the only survivor they had found so far rapidly fading on them, he didn't dare leave.

  
"C-Couldn't s-stop..." the dying man rasped out. "The b-blood...n-needed the blood..."  


_Something inducing blood hunger...._ Abel shivered at the thought. "And the others?" 

". . . frenzy...a m-madness...the b-blood...needed the blood..." Leon had picked his way down the aisle towards his partner, the big man kneeling down next to Abel as the vampire went on, "C-Couldn't s-stop it..."

  
"What started it? Do you know?" Abel asked, dimly aware of León's presence.  


The man managed a slight shake of his head, his gaze swinging towards León, his nostrils flaring slightly as they settled on the big brunette. "León," Abel murmured. "Back up a little, please? Our witness here isn't quite out from under the thrall yet..." He didn't bother adding how thoroughly he was feeling it himself, not entirely unaware of the slight rippling of the pooled blood around him.  


"What?" the other AX agent asked, his brown eyes puzzled as he looked Abel.  
  
Even as León spoke, the Methuselah in front of them struggled to move, lifting his arm towards the brunette in an attempt to reach out towards him, only to gasp in pain and and bare his teeth with a hiss. Abel gave a soft hiss of his own, holding onto the Methuselah more tightly, his own control slipping another slow notch as the vampire's movement caused a fresh rush of blood, and consequently, a fresh rush of the blood scent. "Back up out of his line of sight," Abel murmured. 

León's brow furrowed a bit more, his eyes glancing at the blonde man in Abel's arms before rising up slightly and backing away. The movement caused the Methuselah to struggle away from the pale-haired priest, the scent of fresh Terran blood seeming to compel him despite his injuries. Abel gasped in surprise as the vampire came free of him. "León, run! Now! I don't know how fast he'll be able to move!" The vampire's own blood almost seemed to make the ringing in Abel's ears worse, and the edges of his vision were starting to go fuzzy again. The hairs on the back of his neck were starting to stand up as well. _And I don't think I can stop him..._

The vampire managed to struggle to his knees, the movement causing the gash in his midsection to open wider, his entrails beginning to well out as he flopped forward and tried to crawl forward on the blood soaked carpet. "Jesus Christ!" León exclaimed as he took a few steps back, his gun up and trained on the vampire.  


Abel, forcing himself from the haze that surrounded him, lunged forward to try and get a hold on the dying Methuselah again. Much as he would have liked this witness to survive, he wasn't going to let that regeneration come at the cost of his partner. The vampire growled at the ivory-haired priest. "Mine..." he hissed, his eyes wild with blood-lust.  


"No..." Abel growled back, his own eyes glowing faintly.  


How the creature even continued to remain somewhat upright was a mystery, the organs in the lower cavity of its body spilled out on the floor underneath it as it reached out, the vampire's fingers clawing at Abel. "Mine!"   


The claws sank deep into Abel's skin, tearing furrows down the side of his face. "No!" He snarled back, gasping as he heard an acknowledgment echo in his head he had not commanded, his Crusnik flaring to life, though on a much lower power level than at the other church.  


Several feet away León swore, the big man back to his feet, his gun still trained on the vampire. He had instructed the officers to stay outside, not matter what they heard; and judging by the scared looks he had seen on their faces , he doubted they would disobey, at least not until sometime had passed and neither he nor Abel reappeared. "Abel!" He yelled out. "Get back!" 

"León, get _out_ of here," Abel called to the other man. "I won't be far behind you..."  


The Methuselah's claws dug into the cloth of Abel's coat, rending through the thick fabric as if it were silk and down to the soft flesh underneath. There was a look of madness in the creature's eyes now, the subtle scent León's Terran blood driving it mindlessly. "Damn it!" León swore as he as adjusted his sight on the creature over the barrel of his gun, his finger poised on the trigger and ready to fire.   


Abel grit his teeth as those claws pierced his flesh, and redoubled his hold; with the Crusnik activated, the wounds would be fleeting at best, and he could already feel the dark blood that had stained his robes being absorbed, feeding it. "For the love of God, León, run!"  


The dark-haired man said nothing and the only move he made was to squeeze the trigger on his gun, the shot echoing through the chapel. Abel barely had time to gasp as the vampire's head exploded into a mass of blood, bone and brain matter. Abel recoiled with a hiss and scrambled backwards, trying to avoid the worst of it, though he knew it was a wasted effort. The Methuselah's upper body seemed to hang in the air for a moment or two before it slumped down to the floor with a dull thud, fresh pools of blood welling from the gaping slash in it's midsection and what was left of it's neck.  


Abel covered his mouth and nose at that, trying in vain to block out the scent. The Crusnik was demanding to be fed in a more satisfying manner, blood along the floor starting to creep across the floor toward him, and whatever had tripped off the nano-machines to begin with was only making the problem worse. He had to leave, but there didn't seem to be a good way to do so unseen, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could maintain the tentative control he had.  


His gun lowered slightly, but still tight in his hand, León approached the pale-haired priest, still wary that there might be other vampire survivors. Abel had moved to his feet slowly during this time, wavering a little and quickly moved away from the fresh corpse, trying to find some unstained part of the floor to stand on, and at the same time, keep León from seeing the odd effect he was having on the Methuselah blood.  


"Why the hell didn't you move?" León's voice growled.  


"Why the devil didn't you listen?" Abel replied softly, his voice somewhat muffled behind his hand.  


"I don't know," the other man replied angrily. "Maybe because we're supposed to be partners."  


“And we are," Abel replied wearily. "León...something drove these vampires to madness...in a frenzy for blood that made them turn on one another when they had no more human victims, I think...."  


"Sounds like a good enough reason to me to get rid of him."  


Abel sighed. "I just wish I could have gotten a bit more information..."  


"Abel," León said. "You saw it -- the look in its eyes..." he shook his head a bit. "It was beyond reason. The only thing you were going to get out of it was more claw marks."  


"He didn't start in like that until he scented you," Abel murmured, and shook his head. "But...you're right, there wasn't much left for the poor creature...." His hand moved away from his mouth and nose, touching the gashes in his face that were already beginning to heal. 

The broad-shouldered man lowered his gun to his side, his dark eyes flicking over the priest. Abel did his best not to wince at the scrutiny. "We...we need to go, now," Abel said softly. "I have to get out of here, León..."  


"You go. I'll finish looking around in here."  


"...You can't be serious."  


"The hell I'm not." León shot back.  


Abel started to reply, then faltered a bit and sighed. "Just...please, please be careful..." He murmured.  


"Yeah, yeah..." 

Abel felt a stab of irritation at the seeming brush-off, and silently cursed León, Catarina, and the world at large. Keeping his head bowed, he headed for the doors again, not wanting to reveal himself for what was, but knowing he couldn't afford to remain in the church any longer.

  
León watched the other man go, the brunette grimacing in distaste when he turned back to look at the carnage spread out around him. "I swear," he grumbled to himself. "Sometimes I really hate this job." Adjusting his grip on his gun, the brown-eyed man began to move amongst the pews and walkways checking the bodies and parts thereof that littered the once pristine and elegant chapel.

 

# # #

 

The trip back to the hotel had been a silent one, Abel lost in his own thoughts. He hadn't felt quite right since leaving the church, though this time around had been decidedly less violent than the last. He decided the reason for it was that he had simply lacked the strength for the Crusnik to activate beyond the low level that it had, even in spite of the unexpected, impromptu feeding. Which meant he was tired and vaguely ill, not to mention desperately craving a more satisfying feeding. He kept it to himself though; it wasn't the kind of news you shared, even with a partner.  


Before they had been allowed to leave the church grounds however, the pair had been questioned by the police, both men giving slightly clipped answers, much to the frustration of the officer in charge. It was well into the early morning hours as they approached their hotel. The two trudged up the steps to their room, Leon unlocking the door and stepping into the small room, leaving Abel to trail behind him. Abel stepped in and closed the door behind him, before making his way over toward the table and chairs, shedding his cloak as he went. León likewise shrugged off his overcoat, tossing the dark garment on the bed, the night air much warmer then it had been the previous evenings.

"...Did you find anything?" Abel asked softly, speaking for the first time since León had emerged from the church.  


The dark-haired man shook his head and leaned against the wall. "Same as the first one." He replied.  


Abel frowned. "That makes no sense...."  


"Senseless murder never does."  


"...This goes beyond that, I think...."  


"What? Like something is making all these vampires freak out and become psychotic?" 

“Something like that," Abel murmured to himself. "Why else push them into a frenzy like that?"  


"Your guess is as good as mine." León said with a slight shrug of his broad shoulders.  


Abel sighed and frowned. "I'm missing something crucial...some small detail....I must be...." 

"All I can think is that people will start blaming the vampires once things get out. Right now the police seem like they're trying to keep a lid on it, but you know its going to get out."  


"Of course it is," Abel murmured softly. "And it's going to be complete chaos when it does..."  


León nodded. "And it'll be the vampires that everyone starts pointing their fingers at."  


"All the more reason to try to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible."  


"Get to the bottom of it?" The other man snorted. "With no witnesses, no survivors, no clues...nothing but a bunch of corpses?"  


"We've still got more information than we did," Abel reminded the other man. "And I'd like to speak to the old man who took us to the church again. In all the rush, I never really got a chance to ask him any questions."  


"The police probably know who he is and where to find him."  


Abel nodded. "We should see if we can get a hold of the information, if it doesn't come with the rest of the reports we should be receiving."  


Leon nodded his head slightly, the broad-shouldered saying nothing. Abel similarly lapsed into silence. The two men remained that way for a bit, Abel perched in one of the chairs, León leaning against the wall, the pair silent and apparently lost in their own thoughts. It was León who eventually broke the stillness, the big man pushing away from the wall. "I'm going to go out for a while." He said as he started to move past Abel and towards the door.  


"All right...anywhere in particular I should find you if something comes up?"  


The dark-haired man shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Maybe down near where that café was the other day."   


Abel gave another small nod. "Okay..." he said softly.  


Without another word, León left their room, shutting the door firmly behind him. Abel slumped back in his chair with a heavy sigh. This was definitely turning into one of his tougher cases, and it wasn't completely because of the mystery involved.

 

# # #

 

León wandered for a bit, eventually ending up along the causeway near the café just as he had said. Like his partner, León too was bothered by what was going on in the city, especially since the Methuselah and Terrans had managed to co-exist in Valentia for so long with only a minimum of trouble erupting between them. He had not told Abel, but after the pale-haired man had left the church and he had begun to examine the scene and the bodies, he had found that the vampire he had killed and the woman with the knife had been wearing matching wedding bands.   


León had also found the remains of the church's priest, his body slashed to ribbons and covered with blood, the corpse slumped over another small mound of bodies -- members of a childrens choir judging by their scarlet-soaked robes. All of them with their necks and wrists slashed opened, drained until they were as pale as a fine porcelain teacup, wide sightless eyes staring at nothing.  
  
León hated missions that involved children, having even said so to Abel at the beginning of their last assignment together. Those children had been both the antagonists and the victims, twisted and experimented upon by a man who had promised them a safe home and a family. In the end, Abel had stopped him from carrying out the objective of their mission, the two of them going against their orders by letting Peter and the others go, even going so far as to arrange transportation for them to a safe place.  
  
The sight of the children in the church, their faces frozen in masks of fear and pain had gotten to him, which was a rare thing. Death wasn't something new to León, he had faced it more times than he could count; and dealt it out with his own hand just as much. But seeing innocents like children viciously cut down without rhyme or reason was more than even he could tolerate. Raising his hand, León reached for the pendant around his neck, rubbing his fingers over the familiar golden oval for a moment or two before letting it fall away.

 

# # #

 

Abel had been watching León quietly, and when he saw the man's hand move toward his chest, it didn't take a great intuitive leap to know what he was reaching for. He wore the locket that bore his daughter's picture with all the reverence Abel wore his own cross. That he was reaching for that beloved talisman now told Abel that León had seen a great deal more than he had originally said, and that it had disturbed him in some profound way. It also fueled his decision to apologize for how badly he felt he had handled the entire mission so far. The two were partners...but this had been different, and Abel didn't care for those differences one bit.  


That decision made, he walked quietly over to where León was, and leaned against the stone wall himself. He was silent for the moment, wanting to see how the other man reacted to his presence before he said a word. 

"Something happen?" León didn't turn his eyes from the dark water below as he spoke, his hand having already dropped back down to the wall.  


"No," Abel anwered softly. "Though I did put in a report for Lady Catarina. She knows we have at least one lead we're going to be following up on, and that the local authorities have agreed to help...But that isn't why I came out here looking for you." 

The brunette's dark gaze slid to the man next to him, León turning his head a bit to look at Abel. The priest's own pale eyes were fixed out towards the ocean for a time, before he turned his head to look at León. "I owe you an apology, León. I haven't really been a very good partner this trip."

  
"What brought all this on?"  


"Too much time to think, I suppose," Abel replied, offering a faint smile. "Not that it should surprise you..." He looked away from León and leaned against the wall again.  


"You can't keep blaming yourself for Barcelona." León said after a few moments slipped by quietly.   


Abel's eyes widened a little at the words, and he froze where he stood. "I-I beg your pardon?"  


"What happened wasn't your fault."  


"...I shouldn't have hesitated...there were so many lost because of it..." Abel's voice was soft. "How is that _not_ my fault, León?"  


"And what would a few seconds difference have made?" León asked.   


"It might have stopped him from activating the device..."  


"Somehow it sounds like killing him outright would've been the only way to have done that."  


Abel grew silent at that, and he pushed lightly away from the wall to stand straight again, his arms falling to his sides to be concealed by his cloak. 

"Look, what's this all about?" León asked after a moment or two.   


Abel was quiet for a few moments longer. "You're the first partner I've taken on an assignment with since Barcelona. And I will admit, I was opposed to it, though I didn't know they'd chosen you. But that doesn't make it right that I've let it affect my performance. As the one who's been putting up with me, I thought you deserved an apology. That's all."  


The dark-haired man fell silent, his eyes going back out towards the ocean. "Accepted," he said simply after a few moments.  


"Thank you," Abel said softly. "Now, did you want to tell me what you saw in there that's got you so upset?"  


The brown-eyed man turned to look at the priest once again. "Ugly crap that nobody needs to see." He replied after a few moments, his voice uncharacteristically soft.   


Abel reached out, hesitated a moment, and laid a hand on León's shoulder. He said nothing; any words that passed his lips would sound trite at best, and he didn't want to seem insincere. 

"I want to find whatever bastard is responsible for this." León growled. "I want to put my hands around his neck and just wring the life out of him."  


"We'll figure out who did this," Abel replied, his tone firm. "And we will find them."  


The broad-shouldered man ran his hand through his shaggy dark hair. "Yeah." He agreed.  


Abel gave León's shoulder a small squeeze. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He murmured softly.  


León's brown eyes were intent on the ivory-haired man for a few moments. Reaching up, he covered Abel's gloved hand with his. "You can help me forget." He replied.  


Abel's gaze didn't stray from León's, though his breath caught in his throat softly. "I-I can try," He agreed softly, offering a faint, shy smile.  


Leaning in closer, the brunette titled his head a bit and pressed his lips to the priest's. If Abel had had any doubts about whether or not León might be angry with him, they were washed away as the man's lips captured his. A soft moan rose in Abel's throat, his lips parting just slightly with the sound, and he stepped closer to dark-haired man. León's hand slid away from the other man's. Bringing it up, he slipped his fingers into Abel's ivory hair, the fine strands like silk as they slid over his calloused skin. Abel made a soft sound as the touch loosened the dark ribbon that bound his hair, his gloved hand sliding from León's shoulder to rest on his broad chest. 

The dark-eyed man's fingers tightened in Abel's hair, gently clutching a handful of the soft locks, the press of his lips against the priest's becoming more firm.  


Abel moved again, barely a whisper of fabric marking the motion before his lean frame was pressed up against León's, his free arm sliding around the taller man, his thumb hooking lightly into the broad white sash that circled León's waist. León growled, the sound rumbling in his throat as Abel's slight form pressed against him, his other arm sliding around the man's waist in kind. The pale-haired priest moaned quietly in response, his arm around León's waist tightening a bit. The brunette pressed the other man even closer against him, his grip in Abel's hair tightening a bit as well. Abel's breath caught in his throat at that tighter grip and he moaned again, his lips parting a bit more against the other man's in silent invitation. León was just about to take the priest up on that offer when the sound of giggling interrupted them. Abel started a bit at the sound, a soft, inquisitive sound rising in his throat.  


Another soft peal of laughter sounded, echoing from nearby, obviously the two men were not the only ones out to greet the dawn, which was just breaking over the horizon. With a frustrated sound, León pulled back, breaking the kiss. Abel loosened his hold on León just enough to allow him to look around for the source of the sound. The priest glanced upward, just in time to see the tops of two dark heads disappear back behind the wall above them. Abel felt a blush heat his cheeks, and turned his eyes to León again. "I think," he murmured, pitching his voice for the other man alone, "that a change of venue is in order." 

León grinned. "What's the matter? Not up for some impromptu sex education lessons for the locals?"

  
Blinking, then blushing more darkly, Abel shook his head. "You are completely shameless."  


The dark-haired man chuckled. "What else is new?" Bending his head he brushed a quick kiss over the priest's lips before releasing him.  


"Touché," Abel replied with a faint smile at the kiss, before stepping away from León, doing his best not to notice the two sets of eyes that were peeking at them again.  


León was still chuckling a bit and if he noticed their "audience" he gave no sign. "Well, I don't suppose this is going to help my reputation any," Abel said, mostly to himself as he started walking.  


"The town drunk _and_ the town tramp." The other man laughed. "And how long have we been here?"  


"And none of it _my_ fault, I'll have you know," Abel replied, only slightly indignant.  


"Well...maybe not directly..." León was still chuckling a bit as the pair of them started away.  


"You're impossible," Abel said, though he laughed softly as he said it.  


"Shameless and impossible," the other man mused. "At least I haven't lost my touch."  


Abel only laughed softly at that, shaking his head. The two made their way through the streets and back to their hotel, only pausing for a few minutes while León purchased a bottle of wine from a merchant who was in the process of setting up his wares for the day, before continuing on. "Making sure we don't damage my reputation as a lush?" Abel asked wryly, though the entire situation had grown sufficiently absurd that he couldn't help but be amused by it.  


"This way I can claim that you got me drunk and took advantage of me." 

"Oh, like you'd need the excuse." 

León laughed and gave the pale-haired man a wink. Abel just laughed himself, shaking his head and following the man back to their room. "So what is it about that wine that's had you so attached to it?" He asked.  


"Aside from the fact that I don't get much of a chance to drink wine while sitting in prison," León replied as they started up the stairs to their room. "Its Moroccan."  


"A...little taste of home, so to speak?" Abel asked.  


"Something like that."  


"Well, whatever makes you happy. Though it does still make it just a little unjustified for _me_ to be the lush." As Abel spoke, he dug their room key from his pocket.  


"I wasn't the one stumbling around the street like I was drunk." León pointed out. "And I've only done my drinking in the room."  


"Well, there's that, I suppose."  


The dark-haired man leaned against the door frame as he waited for Abel to open it. Abel slid the key into the lock, unlocking the door and holding it open for the dark-haired man. The brunette slid around the frame and into their room, immediately making a beeline for the table under the window to set the wine bottle down before beginning to remove his gloves and shrug out of his overcoat.  


Abel watched him a moment, then stepped inside the room, pushing the door closed and slipping his own gloves off, tucking them into his belt. León tossed his gloves on the table before sliding the chakram from his wrists and leaving them on the wooden surface well. His jacket he slung haphazardly over the back of one of the chairs before turning to look at Abel. The priest had slid the room key into his robes again, and was reaching up to undo the clasp of his cloak when he felt León's eyes on him and looked up, smiling a little. 

"Don't stop on my account."  


Abel blushed a little at that, but resumed the removal of his cloak, moving over to the other chair to drape it across the back. As soon as the priest let go of the garment, León was on him, the brunette snaking his arm around the pale-haired man's waist and pulling him close. Abel gasped in surprise at that, his hands coming up to rest on León's chest as he was hauled in. "Impatient..." he teased.  


"So sue me..." With that, the dark-haired man leaned in and pressed his lips to the priest's.  


One of Abel's hand slid up, his long fingers curling around the back of León's neck, toying with some of the dark strands at the nape of the larger man's neck. A soft, nearly inaudible sound escaped from León, his arm tightening around Abel's slighter form, the two of them chest to chest. Smiling into the kiss, Abel parted his lips again, eager to pick up where they'd been interrupted before. The brunette wasted no time in taking the priest's silent invitation, his tongue eagerly delving between Abel's lips and into the moist cavern of his mouth, his hand once again sliding into the priest's pale locks, loosening the ribbon that held Abel's hair back even further until the satin length came all the way undone and fluttered down to the floor. 

Abel moaned softly into the kiss, his tongue sliding along León's shyly, letting his unoccupied arm slide around the man again. As the ribbon fluttered away from them, his hair cascaded down his back and over his shoulders. Though his hair was much longer than León's, it was also much finer, the pale strands like gossamer threads, where as the bigger man's was much thicker and unruly. León let his fingers tangle in the silken mass as he cupped the back of Abel's head, the brunette tilting his head a bit to fuse their mouths even more tightly together. It made the pale-haired priest groan, his grip in León's hair tightening, and he pressed a little closer to the man. A sound rumbled in León's throat, his tongue dueling with Abel's as the kiss became more heated. As it drew on between them, Abel's other arm slid up around León's shoulders to give him some extra support as his knees threatened to give. 

León's arm tightened around the slimmer man's waist, holding the priest as close as he could. It was the need to breathe that eventually drove the dark-haired man to break the kiss, a soft nearly inaudible gasp escaping from León as he did so. His fingers still wound in Abel's soft ivory hair, he gently pulled the other man's head back a bit as he brushed his lips over the priest's jawline. Abel moaned softly at the touch of lips on his skin, León's name falling as a moan from his lips. 

The brunette couldn't help smiling a bit as he gently nibbled at the underside of Abel's jaw. Abel abandoned his hold on León's hair, letting his hand slip from the dark locks to slide between them, running cool fingertips over the exposed part of León's chest. León unconsciously pressed into the priest's touch a bit, as he pulled back slightly, his dark eyes closing as a soft sound escaped from him. Abel smiled some at that, leaning in as León pulled back, touching his lips gently to the side of the man's throat. A soft moan fell from the dark-haired man's lips, his fingers tightening ever so slightly in the blue-eyed man's hair. Another kiss was dotted near the first, Abel's hand still exploring the expanse of León's chest, fingers sliding under the man's open uniform to caress warm skin. 

The priest's touch was subtly cool against the brunette's skin, León once again pulling Abel by his hair as he moved to reclaim the pale-haired man's mouth in another heated kiss. Abel gasped into the kiss, moaning as their lips sealed together again. When he felt steady enough, he slid his arm from around León's shoulders bringing his other hand to join the first in the tentative explorations, gently pushing the already open uniform coat open a bit further. León growled softly in his throat, his arm slipping from around Abel's slender waist as he brought his hand up, closing it over the blue-eyed man's bicep and pushing Abel backwards, the kiss still burning on between them, as he manuevered the slighter man back against the wall. 

Abel gave a soft gasp as his back bumped lightly against the wall, an inquisitive sound rising in his throat that died into a moan as their kiss continued unbroken. His hands had stilled their exploring for the moment, settling at León's waist, still buried under his uniform coat. Untangling his long fingers from the priest's silky pale hair, León released Abel's bicep, his hands going to the collar of the other man's robes. Abel gave an encouraging moan, one of his hands slipping out of León's coat to move to the white sash that circled his waist. Their mouths still fused together, the dark-haired man worked at unhooking the small gleaming chest plate on the front of Abel's robe, León's fingers surprisingly nimble. It wasn't long before it slipped to the floor with a slight clang, León then setting his sights on the hook and eye fasteners at top of the collar of the priest's robes, quicking undoing them. 

Abel felt a tiny twitch in one eyelid as he heard the chest plate strike the floor, the sound almost deafening in the otherwise quiet room. But it only lasted a moment before the top of his robes loosened somewhat as the fabric parted. León then went to work on the zipper that went went the rest of the way down the front of Abel's robe, drawing it down to just below the middle of the other man's chest before he let go of it, his hand sliding down to settle on Abel's slim hip. 

Abel shivered a little as the cool air in the room slid over his newly exposed skin, his hand faltering a bit before resuming its task of trying to figure out how to unwind the sash that circled Leon's waist. He finally broke the kiss gently and gave a sound that was half purr, half frustrated growl. "Where the devil does this thing fasten?" He murmured. 

León couldn't help chuckling. Reaching down and back, he deftly unworked the pale fabric which had been cleverly tucked in such a way that it was tightly cinched around his waist without being tied. 

"...One these days, I'mgoing to make you show me how you do that again," Abel murmured as, once the sash was loosened, he began to loosen it further. 

"Is that all you want me to show you?" The other man asked with a grin. 

"Hardly," Abel murmured softly, and smiled a bit. 

"You do it like this..."  The priest had managed to loosen the sash sufficiently and was pulling it free when León's hands caught the ends of it; and in just a few heartbeats, he had the fabric wound around Abel's wrists, binding them together. 

Abel gasped in surprise at that, his eyes widening a little. "H-how?" He had been completely unprepared for the friendly attack, and though León clearly meant him no harm, the binding was firm.

"Just one of the tricks I have up my sleeve."  León grinned at the other man. 

Taking the ends of the sash in one hand, he lifted the priest's arms up, just over the pale-haired man's head and pinning them against the wall, his dark gaze on Abel's china blue eyes. "So...it seems you have me at your mercy," Abel said, his tone just slightly breathless as he spoke, his pale eyes intense as he met León's. His heart was hammering hard in his chest, and it definitely wasn't fear that had sparked the reaction.  
  
León's free hand slid under the parted fabric at the front of Abel's robe, his fingers making contact with the other man's pale cool flesh for the first time. "Certainly looks that way..." The brunette leaned in closer and covered Abel's mouth with his.

  
# # #

 

Abel rested his head against León's shoulder, his breath coming out in small pants, his body trembling slightly. When he finally started to catch his breath, he tilted his head up to press a gentle kiss to León's skin. The dark-haired man's hand slipped away at the soft touch, León lifting his head to press his lips to the priest's. The kiss only lasted a few moments before Abel broke it, whispering softly, " _Definitely_ hot blooded..."  


León chuckled a bit, a grin finding its way to his lips. "And that was only the warm up..." 

"Is that so?" Abel asked breathlessly.  


"Give me a chance, and I'll show you." León pressed his lips to the pale-haired man's, his hand lightly resting on Abel's thigh, León's large frame beginning to feel heavy. The two of them had been without sleep for almost twenty-four hours, and as much as he would have liked to pursue things further, the Hispanian knew it really wasn't the best time. The two of them had been given a mission to complete, and he knew that the Cardinal would be expecting another report from them soon and wouldn't be very pleased at any lack of progress on their part.  


When the contact broke again, Abel, groped for a few moments until he found the blanket that the two had covered themselves with before and which had been left rumpled on the bed. With a concentrated effort, he pulled the material up over them both, settling against to León as he did. "Perhaps...when the time is a bit more appropriate?" he offered, his own fatigue clear in his voice.  


"Wouldn't want Her Ladyship getting all bent out of shape." León agreed, as he slipped his arm around Abel's slim pale waist as the man edged closer to him.  


"No, not at all," Abel said, releasing the blanket to slide his arm around the larger man.  


The two men settled against one another, León's dark eyes sliding closed once again. Abel closed his eyes as well, and it wasn't long before he went slack in León's arms, sleep stealing him away as he lay comfortably in the dark-haired man's embrace.

 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

  

It was again late afternoon when León and Abel awoke, the pale-haired priest stirring first, the pair still wrapped in each other's arms. Reluctantly, they separated and rose, taking turns washing up in the bath down the hall that they shared with the other rooms on their floor. The two were all business as they dressed, though they couldn't help the few glances that passed between them. The pair set out from their hotel, Abel wanting to speak with the old man that had led them to the church the night before, the AX agents making a brief stop at the police station to get his name and address. While they were there, they spoke briefly with the detective in charge, the man promising to have a copy of the initial report delivered to their hotel by the end of the day. The detective didn't say very much, still looking a bit shaken by the slaughter inside the church.  
  
It took Abel and León some time to find the address that they had been given, the two finding themselves lost at least twice before finding a boy who agreed to show them the way in exchange for a few coins. The house that they were led to was small and narrow, like its neighbors along the twisted streets of the inner part of Valentia. They found the old man alone, bleary eyed and perhaps even a bit drunk, his dark eyes red and haunted looking. At first, he had been reluctant to speak, but Abel's soft voice and soothing presence eventually coaxed him into answering their questions.   
  
The man could only tell them that he had been a member of the church, and had been since he had been a boy. He had been late for mass, hearing cries from within when he had arrived. He had pounded on the doors, tried desperately to open them but they had been locked from inside. He had no ideal what had happened, though it had sounded like "all hell had broken loose" he said, "like the devil himself had come." He had managed to get a look through one of the lower windows, the sight nearly freezing him to the spot with shock, before he had stumbled away and run to the police. Abel had spent a few minutes afterward speaking quietly with the man, the two of them praying together while León waited, the broad-shouldered man leaning in the doorway.   
  
Once Abel had finished ministering to the old man, he and León made their way towards the church once again, wanting to take another look around. The trip was a quiet one, Abel's thoughts turned inward as he both mulled over what the man had said, and all the things he hadn't. While the elderly gentleman seemed to be feeling a bit better, Abel knew he would be haunted by what he had seen for a long time, and it bothered him some that he hadn't been able to do more, especially after having been singled out to help.  


A single police officer had been left to guard the crime scene, the man recognizing León and Abel from the day before, only glancing at the identification card that the pale-haired priest showed him. The front doors had been chained and padlocked, the officer opening them for the two AX agents, clearly reluctant to enter the building himself as he waved the two inside. Abel took a deep breath as they headed inside, bracing himself as they passed the threshold. The priest was wary of what they would find, still uneasy after having had his Crusnik activate twice without his consent.

The first thing that both men immediately noticed was that the bodies had been removed, though the smears and pools of gore still remained. That didn't surprise them; it was no great mystery that the townspeople had wanted their dead dealt with. The first thing Abel noticed, however, was that the odd ringing in his ears hadn't started up yet, and for that, he was exceedingly grateful. León glanced in the ivory-haired man's direction, observing his partner for a few moments, watching to see if there was any change in his countenance. Abel glanced back at León at the scrutiny and gave a weak smile. "So far," he said, "So good."  


_Let's hope it stays that way._ The brown-eyed man nodded his head a bit.  


Abel only held León's gaze for a few moments, before he stepped forward to begin his scrutiny of the church. The pair made their way up the main aisle, León taking one side, Abel the other, the two of them carefully picking their way amongst the pews. The silence in the building was almost deafening, broken only by the their muffled footsteps and the rustle of their robes. When they reached the pulpit, and still found nothing, Abel frowned slightly, looking around. 

"What?" León was standing a few feet away, his hands on his hips as he looked at the other man.  


"Something is different," Abel said.  


"Well, obviously."  


Abel shot León a wry look. "I know, I know, it's not very specific...but my ears aren't ringing this time."  


"What makes you think that had anything to do with this place?" The brunette asked.  


"Because it didn't start happening until we were inside, last time."  


"Okay, so you're not freaking out." León said. "That still doesn't give us any clues."  


"No, but it means we might actually be able to finish a search," Abel said, stepping up toward the pulpit.  


"I looked this place over yesterday. I didn't find anything."  


"Even so, I'd like to give the place another thorough search through."  


León nodded. "Yeah."  


The rest of the search went more quietly after that, Abel's concentration on what he was doing. When he reached the pulpit, however, he let out a soft gasp. Laying on the pages of the bible was an ornate metallic cross, almost identical to the one he had seen in the first church. 

The brunette man looked over at his companion, the sound carrying easily in the stillness. "What? Did you find something?"  


"I'm...not sure, but I think I may have." 

León made his way over towards the pale-haired man. "I recognize this," Abel said, indicating the cross but not touching it.  


"From what?"  


"That first church. I found one very like this there."  


"We're in a church Abel." The other man didn't look impressed. "You're bound to find crosses."  


"The last one of this I found..." Abel trailed off, frowning, the memory starting to wander into the hazier parts of his memory.  


"What?"  


"It seems as if it had something to do with...what happened....but my memory's so hazy...." Leon stepped closer to look at the object, the dark-haired man reaching out towards it. "Wait," Abel said softly. "Don't touch it....not yet....I think that had something to do with it...."  


The other man's hand stopped a mere inch or so shy of touching the cross. Abel looked around. He still didn't hear any ringing, nor did he feel the odd sensations he had before. His eyes traveled over the room, alighting finally on a statue nearby. "That's strange...." he murmured.  


"What now?" León asked as he slowly drew his hand back.  


"Come look at this statue, León..." The dark-haired man stepped over to join the blue-eyed man. At first glance, León did seem to find anything remarkable about the statue, like the majority of the interior of the church, it was splashed with blood, though only around the base. When Abel saw no recognition on León's face, he went on. "It looks like it was holding something once...I seem to remember it holding a sword..."  


León stepped around Abel to take a closer look at the sculpture, his dark eyes scrutinizing the image. Abel stepped back a bit to let León look, and moved to return his scrutiny to the cross he had found before. As he got a closer look at the statue, León had to agree with the other man. The image had been carved in such a way that the angel's hands were curled as if it to hold _something_.  


"I wish I could remember for certain...." The words fell absently from Abel's lips as he looked at the intricate designs on the cross, and exhaled a soft breath, reaching out to touch the surface gently.  
  
Nothing happened.

  
That confused Abel somewhat. _They've taken something,_ the priest thought, but kept it to himself, as he was unable to explain the suspicion sufficiently. 

"Well, if there was something here," the dark-haired man said as he turned towards Abel. "For whatever reason it's gone now."  


"So it would seem," Abel murmured softly, mostly to himself.  


"I guess the police could have confiscated it." León mused. "Though hell if I can guess why." 

"I suppose we could ask them," Abel murmured. "It seems like it should be important..."  


León stepped back to the other man's side. "We can stop by on our way back."  


"Sounds like a plan," Abel said, nodding.  


"So what now?"  


"We should finish checking the rest of the church, just to be thorough, then stop by the police station."  


The dark-haired man nodded. "Do you want to split up or stay together?"  


"This'll go more quickly if we split up," Abel said. "We can keep in touch via radio...er, the Professor _did_ remember to give you yours, right?"  
  
"It was with my uniform."  


"Good," Abel said, nodding. "Then shall we get to it?"  
  
"It's what the boss lady pays us for." León said with another nod of his shaggy dark head.

 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five 

 

Abel and León found nothing of any further interest during their search of the church, the two men working quickly yet thoroughly. Slightly frustrated, they left the building and made their way to the police station as planned. They arrived at the station to find it nearly deserted. A quick inquiry revealed that the majority of the daytime staff had been dispatched to notify and interview the relatives of those who had been slain in the church, as well as escort them to to where they could identify their loved ones. 

The pair was able to talk briefly with the detective they had met previously, the man looking decidedly grayer and worn out then he had before. The scene at the church had taken a toll on all of the officers who had responded. Abel asked the man if they had removed anything from the church only to be told that only the bodies of the slain the weapons that had been found had been removed as evidence. Before they departed, the detective gave them a copy of the promised report of the incident at the first church as well as a copy of the preliminary findings after the second massacre. Taking the pages, Abel and León thanked the man and took their leave. 

They made a brief stop at their hotel so that Abel could drop off the paperwork they'd received, before they headed off again, in the direction of the first church they'd visited upon their arrival in Valentia. Though they had been told while at the police station that the bodies had also been removed from there as well, neither man was looking forward to returning. Abel, in particular, couldn't help the vague nausea that rose when he thought about going back. But he had no choice. He knew he had to go back again. The impulse was too strong to ignore, and the priest knew to trust his instincts. The two arrived to find the building still under guard, though there was only one officer, an older man who looked like he would rather be anywhere else but there. It didn't take much convincing, therefore, to get the man to let them in, and Abel took a slow breath as he stepped inside. His hands, hidden beneath his cloak, were clenched into fists. 

Though the bodies had been removed, the interior still carried the stench of death, the iron tang of blood seeming to cling to everything as the two passed through the doors and into the church. Abel moved quietly down the aisle, his steps slow, tense as he waited for any of the tell-tale signs that had marked his first two "episodes" since arriving in Valentia. But none of it came. No ringing ears, no tingling skin. "Odd..." he murmured. 

"What is?" León glanced over at the pale-haired man. 

"It's the same as before...somethings been changed." 

"Looks the same to me," the other man said. "Sans all the corpses." 

"There has to be something different," Abel said, frowning a bit as he looked around, then started making his way for the pulpit. "Help me look..." 

León opened his mouth to ask just he was supposed to be looking for, but thought the better of it as he trailed after the priest. Abel was silent as he mounted the short stairs, his eyes going immediately to the statue behind the pulpit. His frown deepened. He remembered that statue. And it looked the same as it had before. Coldly beautiful, splattered with now dried and darkened blood. 

And weaponless. 

León watched his partner, the brunette moving to stand next to the priest as Abel continued to stare at the statue. "This one's gone, too," Abel murmured. "That makes no sense...." 

"What's gone?" 

"This statue's sword has been taken, the same as the other...." He trailed off as he took a step closer to the statue. 

León's dark brows knitted together. "But the cops said they didn't take anything." 

"And they've had a guard posted here since the initial incident occurred...I don't understand....obviously it didn't walk away on its own." 

"Someone else must've been here then." 

"I wonder if there's a door we don't know about..." Abel said, already starting to look around. "Although I don't know how we could have missed it..." 

"Its not like we gave this place a real going over before you started to freak out." León pointed out. "There's probably a lot we missed." 

"That's true," Abel said. "We should rectify that now, especially if there's a way someone's been using to get in and out. Who knows what else they might have taken?" 

The dark-haired man nodded. "Let's split up again." 

"All right." 

With León taking the left side and Abel the right, the two parted and started their inspection of the church, the pair pouring over every inch of the interior – the pews, the paneling, the windows, the carpeting and floor. It was a long and tedious process, the air inside the closed up building near stifling from both heat and the still lingering smells of the carnage that had taken place there. León had long grown frustrated with the search when he unexpectedly found something, the broad-shouldered man letting out a little exclamation of surprise. The sound immediately caught Abel's attention, and he turned toward the other man. "What is it?" 

"What do you make of that?" The dark-haired man stepped back, his eyes turned upwards towards the corner of one of the windows. 

Fairly well concealed within the shadowed corner was a small electronic device, the object appearing to be smaller than León's palm. Abel looked up and squinted a little as he peered into the shadows, stepping a little closer. "I'm not sure...wait, is that a camera?" 

"Only one way to find out." Bracing his hand on the stained glass window, León climbed up on the ledge. Taking a moment to get his balance, he reached up, stretching his tall frame to its fullest to reach the device. The device had not been fastened permanently and all it took was a few good pulls before he had it in hand. 

Abel watched quietly, knowing there wasn't much he could do if the man fell, but lingering close enough to try and catch him if he did. Once he had a good grip on the object, León jumped down, the big man landing lithely on his feet. "Let's have a look," Abel said, relaxing a bit when once León had rejoined him. The brunette opened his hand displaying the device, which upon closer inspection was indeed a small camera. Abel frowned a little. "Well now," he said softly. "That's interesting...I wouldn't have expected there to be any need for a security camera in a place like this..." 

"And why just one?" 

"We're not finished with our search yet," Abel pointed out. "Perhaps we'll find another elsewhere?" 

"Maybe..." León replied. 

"I know...I don't really think so, either, but I don't like this," Abel said, pointing to the camera. "I want to know what else we've missed..." 

The dark-haired man nodded in agreement. "Back to work then." 

The two returned to their search, continuing to scrutinize the building carefully. Abel's eyes sought ahead of him always, trying to discern anything that was the slightest bit out of place. Sighing softly, he leaned against what looked like a relatively clean spot along the wall, and gasped softly as the wall behind him shifted. León meanwhile was busy on the other side of the church still, the broad-shouldered man stomping on the floor, looking for hollow spaces underneath. Abel pushed away from the wall, and reached out to give it a gentle push. It shifted just a little bit, and then the priest turned his full attention toward trying to find a catch or something to clue him in to what he had found. 

Pausing for a moment, León glanced over in Abel's direction, his brows crooking a bit as he watched the ivory-haired man. Abel nearly growled in frustration before he finally found the catch, carefully concealed between two of the wooden panels that made up the walls of the church. "There we go," he murmured, before slowly starting to pull the panel, the entire piece swinging out near-silently. 

"What the hell?" León's voice sounded from behind Abel's shoulder, the broad-shouldered man having made his way over while the priest had been searching for the catch to open the concealed door. 

"I'd have almost guessed supply closet," Abel said, gesturing to the neglected shelves and an equally long-neglected mop. "But that seems to go a bit against it..." There was a small branch off the tiny room the panel had been hiding, an opening that looked just big enough for Abel to squeeze through, if he tried. 

"Hidden cameras...hidden rooms...quite an interesting place." 

"In a building this small, having a storage closet hidden thus isn't terribly surprising," Abel said, moving toward the opening. "But this does seem a bit suspect." 

"You wanna check it out?" León asked, gesturing to the opening. 

Abel nodded. "Absolutely," He said, and was pleased to see, as he approached it, that it was larger than it first appeared. "Looks like we'll both fit, too. Are you coming with me, or shall I go on my own?" 

"Like you have to ask." 

Abel nodded, and slipped into the opening, finding it opening into a tunnel that angled downward into the ground. "I don't suppose you've got a flashlight on you, do you?" He asked, moving into the tunnel slowly. 

León shook his dark head. "There's candles out on the altar." he offered up a few moments later. 

"Would you be so kind as to grab a few of them?" 

With a nod, the broad-shouldered man backed out of the room and hurriedly made his way up the aisle towards the altar. 

León returned several minutes later with a pair of fat pillar candles and a book of matches. Handing one of the candles to Abel, he lit it and then lit his own from the candle Abel was holding. Abel stepped up to take the lead, his candle held in a light but firm grip. He waited until he was certain León's candle would remain lit before stepping away from the man and heading further into the tunnel. Giving the room a last glance, León followed the priest, the two of them stepping into darkness with only the feeble flickering of two candles to guide them. 

 

###

  

It was hard for Abel to gage just how long they were walking before the tunnel angled upwards again. "How far do you think we've come?" He murmured. 

"I dunno," León answered. "Maybe sixty or seventy yards if I had to guess." 

Whoever had installed the tunnel had taken great care in its construction, the floor relatively smooth despite being dirt, the ceiling of an equal height along its length, and high enough that both men were able to walk fully upright. "Won't that mean this lets out in almost the middle of nowhere?" Abel asked, frowning thoughtfully to himself. 

"Maybe," León replied. "I mean there were woods all around, but who knows. There could be something we couldn't see from the church." 

"True..." Abel's free hand slid into his robes, and he drew his pistol. They were nearing the exit, the end of the long tunnel finally in sight, and since he didn't know what was going to be on the other end, the weapon was a comforting weight in his hand. 

The brunette followed his companion's lead, León slipping one of the silver chakram from his wrists, curling his fingers around the familiar smooth metal ring. The tunnel ended in a smooth door that had no visible knob or lock, and Abel stopped and waited for his companion to join him. "Would you be so kind as to open the door while I cover you?" He asked. 

"Sure thing, Junior." León blew out his candle, tossing the wax stub to the floor of the tunnel before moving past the pale-haired priest to the door. Adjusting his grip on the chakram slightly, he slowly shouldered the wooden door open. 

León could see little as the door cracked open, other then dusk was beginning to fall. He had pushed the door open almost halfway without incident when he shouldered it the rest of the way and dashed outside, immediately going down into a crouch, the chakram spinning on his long fingers in readiness. Abel was right behind him, pistol at the ready, aiming over León's head as his pale eyes darted around. But there was little to see. 

The tunnel had opened into a small clearing with a dirt track that looked to be just barely wide enough for a car to travel on leading away into the woods. Rising to his feet, León looked around, the brunette unable to see the church through the forest surrounding the clearing. Abel lowered his pistol and blew out his candle as he stepped around León, looking around as he did. "This....is unexpected." 

"You were right, it is the middle of nowhere." 

"Yes...but why build a tunnel that leads out here? It doesn't make any sense..." 

"What about this case has made sense? León snorted. 

"Well, I suppose we could follow the track...but without knowing how far it leads, I'm hesitant this close to sundown." 

The dark-haired man nodded. "Its going west, so I bet its going back to Valentia." 

"Should we come back and see what part it leads to tomorrow?" Abel asked, reaching to slip his pistol back into the holster under his robes. 

"Can't hurt." 

"All right...in the meantime, let's do a quick search of our immediate surroundings, see if we can find anything useful, then head back to the hotel. I've still got our report to update, and the paperwork from the police station to look over." 

León nodded and the two men split up, each of them moving in opposite directions to scour the area while they still had enough daylight to do so. The fading light made it easy to see tracks in the dirt, and Abel knelt to peruse these, trying to determine just what kind of vehicle had been traveling this particular path. León found signs that the clearing had been occupied in the not so distant past as well, a trail of grass that led from the door to a distance near to where Abel was investigating, that had been crushed and trod upon. The two kept searching until the sun had sunk completely, and the shadows made it difficult to see. Abel sighed softly. "We should go." 

The brunette nodded as he slipped the chakram back on his wrist. "Back the way we came then?" 

"Yes, I think so." 

The two re-lit their candles before their re-entered the tunnel, León retrieving his and lighting it from Abel's. Making sure that the door was closed securely, they retraced their path through the tunnel, once again re-emerging in the cleaning closet inside the church. Abel stepped out of it first, and then held open the concealed door for León. The broad-shouldered man edged out of the entrance, the two holding their candles up before them as they stepped out into the church. 

Abel moved over to the altar and set the candle into one of the holders that decorated it. León opted to keep his, the pair still having to make their way to the front doors of the darkened building. Abel lingered for a few moments, before leaning down and blowing the candle out, and then moved silently down the aisle to join his partner. The two made their way up the main aisle and towards the front door, León hoping that the guard hadn't forgotten about them and locked up the building before departing for the night. With the bodies removed and the required evidence, the police really had no reason to keep the building under twenty-four hour guard. The door wasn't locked, though the guard was gone, and the two AX agents stepped out of the church and into the cool night air.

 

###

 

The trek back to their hotel was without incident, the two stopping briefly to have a quick meal at a food stall that had been in the process of closing down when they had approached, though the proprietor had been more than happy to serve them once he saw the flash of coin in Abel's gloved hand. The meal was nothing compared to that at the café the day of their arrival, but it satisfied their hunger. Fed, the pair continued on to their hotel, Abel pulling the key from his pocket to unlock the door. 

Once inside, he took the time to make a report to Sister Kate to pass along to Catarina, detailing what they had found, and that they had something for the Professor to look at. He also mentioned the reports given to them by the police station, though he admitted he hadn't looked through them yet, in light of their search of the church. Once his report was finished, he slipped off his cloak, hanging it from the back of the chair and removing the small radio as well, rubbing the back of his ear as he did. 

While his partner was busy reporting in, León took the opportunity to slip down to the shared bath at the end of the hall for a shower, the brunette returning about a quarter of an hour later dressed in a long, loose tunic-like garment made of thin pale fabric, his dark hair wet and glistening. Abel looked up from the reports he had started as León entered, smiling a little at the sight of the other man. He cut an impressive figure at the best of times, and like this, it was only that much more apparent. León was still rubbing at his damp hair with a towel as he entered the room, the big man silent as he padded over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "Feel better?" Abel asked softly, still smiling. 

"It's a wonder what a hot shower can do." the other man responded with a bit of a grin, the dark-haired man letting the towel slide down to his lap before he ruffled his hand through his hair. 

Abel chuckled at that. "It's good to see you so relaxed." 

"You should go get one yourself." 

"I know, I know..." Abel sighed. "If only to let my eyes rest for a little while." 

"Kate have anything to say?" 

"They'll be sending a special courier to pick up that camera we found as soon as they can," Abel said. "And they want a follow-up report about what's going on tomorrow, as well as a summary of all the reports we've been given by the local police. I can have that finished by morning, I think..." 

León nodded as he reached to take the pages in Abel's hand from the priest. "Er...León...what are you doing?" 

"I can look over these while you go take a shower." the other man replied. "I do know how to read, you know." 

"Yes, I know," Abel said, giving the man a wry look. "Something you've demonstrated in the past, if you'll recall." 

"I remember." León said with a bit of a grin. "I also remember you didn't care very much for the subject matter either, even though it was your book." 

"It wasn't my book, it was a book I'd been loaned," Abel replied, standing up and stretching a little. 

"Yeah sure, I believe you." 

Abel only chuckled softly, and shook his head. "Of course you do." He said, gathering a change of clothes from his pack in preparation of his shower. 

Once the pale-haired man was gone, León tried to turn his attention to the police reports that the priest had been reviewing, the dark-eyed man shifting a bit on the bed to get more comfortable as he read. 

Abel's shower was quick and to the point, only the cleansing of his hair slowing him down. The hot water felt like heaven, though, and he had to admit he felt better than he had when he had gone in. he had left his glasses in their room, and the world was just slightly out of focus as he unlocked the door and let himself in. The priest was greeted by the sight of León stretched out on the bed, one foot dangling down towards the floor, the brunette having fallen asleep, the copies of the reports still in his hand. 

Abel took the time to brush his hair, and resettled his glasses before moving toward the bed to take the papers back, smiling at the sight of the other man and shaking his head a little. Leon stirred a bit, his brown eyes blinking as he awoke. Abel had gently grabbed the papers but hadn't quite managed to get the other man to let go of them. "Just give these back and go back to sleep," he suggested softly. 

"Come to bed with me." León said softly, the broad-shouldered man not relinquishing his hold on the pages. 

"I really should finish that summary first," Abel said, though the protest was weak, at best. 

"You and work...” the other man sighed and let go of the papers. 

Abel took the papers and moved back toward the table, then paused. "But...I suppose if I could persuade you to go find breakfast for us, I could always do it in the morning," He murmured. 

"Now?"

"Not now," Abel said, shaking his head. "In the morning." he said softly, laying the papers and his glasses down again and moving toward the bed. 

Leon dropped the damp towel that had still been draped over his lap to the floor, his dark eyes on the other man. Abel stopped when he reached the edge of the bed, smiling a bit. "Is that more acceptable?" He asked. 

"I think I can roll with that." 

"All right, then." Abel removed his bed robe, leaving him clad in just a long nightshirt, before sliding onto the mattress. León turned onto his side so that he was facing the priest, his brown eyes on the other man as he got settled. 

Abel settled on his side, his head pillowed on his arm, the other moving out after a moment to drape across León's middle. The dark-haired man returned the gesture, León sliding his arm around Abel's slim waist. Abel slid closer at that, smiling to himself as he did. Although there was a dim part of him that knew he really should be trying to finish the report summary he would be sending in the next day, he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty for putting it off, now that he had settled. "Still thinking about paperwork?" León's voice was soft as he adjusted his arm around the pale-haired man, tightening it a bit. 

"Thinking about a lot of things," Abel replied, shifting his arm to let it drape more comfortably over the larger man. 

The brown-eyed man chuckled a bit. "You think too much." 

Abel let out a soft chuckle of his own. "You're probably right," he admitted. 

"I guess one of us has to." 

"Don't sell yourself short like that," Abel murmured quietly, moving the arm around León's waist, bringing his hand up to sweep a light touch along one cheek. 

"Even I know Catarina didn't bring me on because I'm a genius." León said. "Though I am good at what I do." 

"And you're not nearly as dense as you like to try and make me think you are," Abel replied. "You're street smart." 

"Damn, there goes my cover." 

"Where I'm concerned, at least." 

"You always could read me pretty good." The brunette said. 

Abel smiled, and let his hand come to rest on León's chest, over his heart. "Only because I knew where to look." 

León's eyes softened, his hand sliding from the priest's waist as he brought his hand up, his fingers brushing over the blue-eyed man's jaw as he lifted Abel's head up a bit so that he could kiss him. The pale-haired priest exhaled a quiet sound as their lips met, the last dregs of tension easing out of his body. The dark-haired man's hand slid into Abel's hair, gently tangling in the pale strands. León loved the feel of the priest's hair against his skin, Abel's hair as fine as any woman's, like threads of silk as they glided between his fingers. 

León's fingers in his hair was also one of Abel's weaknesses, the priest loving that gentle touch, and his hand slid slowly from León's chest, gliding along his side until Abel could settle a slender hand on the man's hip. The brunette made a soft sound as the other man's gentle touch slid along his body, León's hand cupping the back of the priest's head as the kiss heated up between them. Abel moaned softly, his lips parting in silent invitation with the sound, his hand gripping León's hip just a little as he scooted a little closer still. León wasted no time in accepting that quiet invite, the brown-eyed man delving into the ivory-haired man's mouth with a soft moan of his own, his tongue seeking out its like. 

That drew another sound from Abel, his tongue twining with the other man's as his hand slid back up the length of León's torso, tracing the muscled planes of his back slowly. Abel's light touch drew a slight shiver from the broad-shouldered man, León moaning in his throat as the kiss became more hungry. The shiver made Abel purr, and he shifted a little, freeing the arm that had been pillowing his head and bringing it up to cup the other man's cheek. Their mouths still locked together, León tilted his head slightly into the priest's touch, his other arm snaking out to slide around the man's slim waist and pulling him closer. 

A soft gasp escaped Abel as he was hauled in, but he went more than willingly, gently pushing León onto his back and settling on top of the larger man, never once breaking the kiss as he did. The brunette man made a slightly surprised sound as he was pushed back, though it was only momentary, León tightening his arm around Abel, pressing his slighter form closer. Abel chuckled into the kiss, finally breaking it with a gentle nip to the other man's lower lip. León's breath caught slightly, the dark-eyed man growling faintly in his throat as he looked up at the priest. "So fearsome," Abel whispered, smiling as he met León's gaze with his own. 

"Grrrrr..." León grinned at the other man as he shifted slightly, wrapping his leg over the back of Abel's. 

Abel laughed softly, before the sound caught in a gasp as the man's leg pinned him some. The brunette's grin widened a bit more, a mischievous glint in his golden brown eyes. "What are you plotting?" Abel asked, giving the man an exaggerated suspicious look when he saw the expression in the other man's eyes. 

"Me? Plot?" 

"Yes, you," Abel said, giving the tip of the man's nose a gentle poke. 

León's hand slid from the priest's waist and down to his hip and then his thigh, the broad-shouldered man bunching up the soft cotton of Abel's nightshirt. The fabric made a soft sound as it slid along Abel's skin, and the pale priest smiled just a bit. "Ah, of course," he said, smiling. "I'd almost forgotten you don't care for my taste in night clothing." He kept his voice deliberately light, still feeling playful and not wanting to inadvertently discourage the man. 

"The only good thing about it is that it doesn't tend to hang around very long." The dark-haired man slid the light fabric further up his companion's thigh, his fingertips trailing over the newly exposed skin. 

Abel chuckled at that, only to gasp at the feel of those warm fingertips on his skin, leaving tingling trails in their wake. León grinned at the blue-eyed man's reaction as he tightened his fingers in Abel's pale hair and pulled him closer until their lips met. Abel smiled as he was pulled down, pressing his lips firmly to León's, one slim hand moving to weave into the man's dark hair. León made a small sound in his throat, his hand settling on the cool pale flesh of the priest's thigh. Abel was almost hyper-aware of the touch and it made him shiver. Although he had teased León about the man's intent to remove his nightshirt, it hadn't been much of an exaggeration. When they could, the two of them nearly always slept together nude or partially nude, just for the sake of that intimate closeness, something neither of them had when they were away from one another. 

As the kiss deepened between them, León's hand restarted its upward trek, sliding over the swell of Abel's buttock to his hip. The fabric followed León's hand most of the way, before it got caught, pulled as far as it could go while the rest of the long nightshirt remained trapped between them. Abel moaned softly, his legs shifting and freeing his nightshirt somewhat, his legs tucking themselves up under him a little, leaving him straddling León as he broke the kiss gently and sat up to remove the nightshirt himself. León's dark eyes watched the priest, his hands moving to settle on Abel's slender thighs, while the ivory-haired man pulled the light cotton material up and over his head, his hair falling falling back into a glistening curtain around his shoulders as he shook his head slightly. 

He dropped the thin nightshirt to the side, and then reached up with one hand to tuck some of his hair behind his ear, looking down at León as he did. The whole of the brunette's attention was on the priest as his hands lightly slid up Abel's thighs and up to his hips. Abel shivered a little at that, his hand falling away once the offending bits of hair were out of his eyes, and he smiled a little. "Better?" He asked softly, letting his hand rest on León's stomach. 

"Much." 

Without warning, León slid his arms around the other man's waist and pulled him down against him, a faint growl sounding in his throat as he rolled the two of them over, pinning the paler man underneath him. Abel barely had time to gasp before he was on his back and gazing up at León, his hair tousled across the pillow and his own face, but this time, he made no move to brush them away, his pale gaze intent on the other man now, a spike of arousal going through him at the aggressive act. Giving the priest barely enough time to draw a breath, León bent his head and claimed Abel's mouth in a hungry kiss. León was rewarded for that with a low moan, Abel's arms sliding around the dark-haired man immediately, drawing him closer. 

León's hand slid up Abel's side, his thumb tracing over the ivory-haired man's ribcage as the kiss burned on between them. Abel shivered, pressing a little more firmly up into the kiss, burying a hand in León's dark mane again. It was the brown-eyed man who broke the kiss, a growl sounding in León's throat as he pulled away from the priest, giving Abel's bottom lip a light nip as he did so. Sitting back, he shifted until he was straddling the ivory-haired man's slim form before reaching for the hem of the gauzy garment he was wearing, the neck ties already undone making it easy for León to pull it up and over his dark head. 

The moment it came away from his tanned form, Abel reached up, letting his hands smooth slowly over León's chest and stomach, slipping through the dusting of hair on his chest, the cool fingertips of one hand circling his navel slowly. León's breath caught faintly in his throat, his golden brown eyes sliding closed at the erotically soft touch. Abel smiled a bit at that, sitting up to touch his lips to León's chest, one hand moving to settle at the small of his back, the other repeating the slow circle before sliding slowly down, following the trail of hair that led downwards toward León's groin. Aside from the differences in their skin tone, Abel had always been just slightly fascinated with the other man's body hair, perhaps because he possessed very little of his own, and what little he did possess was nowhere near as dark or coarse. 

A low moan escaped from the brunette man, his hands coming up to slide into Abel's glistening pale hair as he pressed into the priest's soft touch. Abel groaned at that, continuing his gentle explorations, lips brushing along León's skin, his hand slipping ever downwards, intentionally avoiding where he knew León would want that touch most, sliding down his thigh slowly. 

The priest's attentions drew a series of moans from his companion, his eyes squeezed shut as Abel's lips and hands sent a spike of arousal through him. Thus encouraged, Abel smiled a bit, his lips brushing one dark nipple lightly as he brought his hand back up to the inside of León's thigh. Abel was, as he often found himself, mildly embarrassed by his own forward behavior. But he couldn't help it; León inflamed him in a way no one else could. 

A groan rumbled in León's throat as his head went back, his fingers tightening in the priest's silky hair. Abel moaned softly at that, letting his fingertips glance along the other man's length, already hardening, and it gave the pale-haired man a slight thrill to know _he_ was the one who was affecting León thus. A slight shudder went through the dark-haired man, another low groan escaping from him at the glancing touch. Until he had met and gotten to know Abel, León would have never even considered being intimate with another man. What had sparked between them had been completely unplanned, taking León completely by surprise. He never thought that he could have feelings for anyone again, believing that he had buried his heart forever when his wife had been laid to rest. 

But Abel had revived what he thought to be dead, the two of them finding solace in one another's arms on a rainy night in Venice a few years after León had joined the AX, the brown-eyed man still able to recall every nuance of that first encounter. At times, it was one of the few things that made his incarceration bearable. It was a memory Abel held close to his own heart as well, as surprised by their mutual attraction as the other man. And the thought made him smile as he pulled back just a little bit, long fingers curling around León in a firm grip. 

The brunette growled low in his throat as Abel's cool hand closed over his stiffening flesh. Tilting his head back up, he used his grip on the man's ivory hand to pull the priest in for a kiss. Abel moaned softly into the kiss, returning it hungrily, his free hand wandering freely across León's skin now, giving the other man a slow stroke with the other. A visible shudder went through the dark-eyed man as he untangled one of his hands from the gossamer-like strands of Abel's hair before gliding downward, his fingertips brushing over the priest's cheek as it continued on. 

The slender man pressed into the touch, continuing the slow stroking, wanting to keep his lover aroused, but not wanting to overdo it, either. León's hand brushed down the side of Abel's neck, then his shoulder, his fingertips ghosting over the cool pale skin as he continued on gliding down along the priest's ribcage and then his hip before slipping between them in pursuit of Abel's burgeoning length. Abel gasped and then groaned when León's hand found its prize, his own hold on León tightening some reflexively. The brunette's fingertips brushed along the priest's length, the velvety flesh cool to the touch like the rest of Abel's body. Abel was the one who broke their kiss then. "L-León..." he moaned softly against the other male's lips. 

León's lips brushed over the pale-haired man's chin as he closed his hand over his lover's shaft, giving it a slow yet firm stroke. A groan escaped Abel at that, his hips rolling into the touch just a little, breaking himself out of his own reverie to return the stroke. The return gesture had nearly the same effect on his partner, León's hips thrusting forward, a low groan escaping from him, their lips still close enough to kiss. "You make me ache for you," Abel whispered against León's lips. 

"Sometimes I can barely stand not being with you...” León's voice was a husky whisper, his lips brushing over the priest's chin. 

Abel moaned softly at that, and tilted his head to catch León's lips with his own briefly. He couldn't quite find words to reply to that, nothing that would come close to expressing him clearly. Aside from his memories of being with Abel, the missions he took for the AX and the day when he would see his daughter again as a free man, were just about the only things that kept León sane during the long days in his cell. Still, there were numerous days when all he could do was pace back and forth in the small barred room, resembling nothing so much as the great tawny cat that he had been named after. 

"Given a choice," Abel whispered softly when the kiss finally broke. "I wouldn't leave your side..." 

"Given the choice," León murmured against the priest's lips. "I wouldn't let you." 

"Perhaps someday we'll have that choice," Abel whispered back, his lips brushing León's lightly as he spoke. 

The other man's dark eyes squeezed close. "Maybe.." 

In truth, León never expected to be a free man again. Twenty years here, thirty there...the brunette held no illusions that it would ever be enough to equal the thousand year sentence that he was under. Still, that didn't mean that he wouldn't try to see just how many of those years he could knock off for as long as he was able. "But no more talk of the future," Abel murmured softly, reaching to cup León's cheek. "I'm here with you _now._.." 

The brunette unconsciously tilted his head into the other man's touch before covering Abel's mouth with his once again, his hand continuing to stroke the ivory-haired man. Abel returned the kiss with as much warmth and emotion as he could muster, his own hand resuming its earlier teasing of the other man. Even aside from the probable reality that León would never be a free man again, Abel didn't like thinking too far into the future. It meant looking at the time when León finally passed from this world while Abel himself remained alive, eternal. 

It was a bleak thought. 

Gasping for breath, it was León who eventually broke the kiss, a deep moan sounding from his as he rolled his hips up into his companion's hand, the brunette's length rock hard and throbbing. "G-God...ugh...A-Abel..." 

The pale priest leaned up then, his lips brushing his companion's ear lightly as he spoke. "I need you, León..." 

The words were apparently all the dark-haired man needed to hear as he once again found the blue-eyed man's lips before slowly pushing Abel back down on the mattress, covering the man's body with his.

 

###

 

Abel didn't realize he had been dozing until he woke, still comfortably tangled with León in their bed, the sheet and thin blanket pulled up over them, his senses filled with the warmth of the other man, and air still thick with his unique scent, as well as the last lingering traces of their lovemaking. It made him smile a bit as he cracked open his eyes, wondering if he had been the only one to fall asleep. From all appearances, he wasn't. León was lying on his side, facing the priest, one muscled tan arm draped over Abel's slim waist, the brunette's dark eyes closed, his breathing a rhythmic rise and fall of his broad chest. 

Abel lay still for a time, just watching the other man sleep, considering their brief conversation before, and wishing, not for the first time, that he could somehow change things, just a little. He wanted to give León his freedom back. He wanted to give the man his daughter back. And he wanted to be with León for the rest of the man's life. León made a small sound as he shifted slightly, one golden brown eye cracking open blearily, drawing Abel from his thoughts. The pale-haired priest smiled a little at that, his words a whisper when he spoke. "Go back to sleep, _Tovaresh,_ " he murmured softly. "We've got some time yet before sunrise..." 

The other man made a non-committal sound, as he scooted closer to the priest, León lazily nuzzling the pale-haired man's neck as he pulled him closer. Abel's smile warmed a bit, and he pressed his lips to León's forehead gently. 

"You want me to scratch it?" León asked softly with a sleepy smile. 

Abel blinked. "Hm?" 

"Your toe. Didn't you just say that your toe itches?" 

Abel was silent a moment, then chuckled softly. "No..I..." Then he was quiet, embarrassed that the other man had actually heard him use the term. 

"What?" León asked as he propped himself up on his elbow a bit, his other arm still around the priest's slim pale waist. 

"It's a term I learned not long ago..." Abel murmured softly, trying to buy himself a little time to distill what he knew of the word down into a fairly simple definition. 

"Some new way to call me 'old man'?" 

Abel shook his head, and offered León a smile. "No...it's a term for...." He frowned a little again, then his expression eased as he found the words he was looking for. "For someone you trust with your life unconditionally, and with no hesitation." 

León was silent for a few moments. "How did you say it again?" 

" _Tovaresh,_ " Abel repeated. 

The dark-haired man softly repeated the word to himself, his brown eyes settling on the priest. Abel met León's eyes for a few moments, then looked away, still feeling a little embarrassed and glad the darkness hid his blush. León slid back down, the brunette pressing a soft kiss to the side of the other man's neck before laying his head on Abel's shoulder. Abel smiled at the gentle kiss, and ran a hand affectionately through León's hair, and resettled himself. The dark-haired man purred at the gentle touch and gave Abel's hip a light squeeze. "You should rest," Abel said softly. 

"Is that an order, Junior?" 

The pale-haired priest chuckled. "More of a suggestion," he replied, and gave León's hair a gentle ruffle. "It's not like you listen to my orders anyway," he teased. 

"I take them into consideration on occasion." León said as he nuzzled the side of the other man's neck. 

"When it suits you," Abel replied, closing his eyes at the nuzzle. 

"You rarely complain...” the other man said as his lips brushed over the skin just under the priest's ear. 

"That's true," Abel murmured, shivering at the kiss. 

León's hand glided upwards from the pale-haired man's hip, ghosting along Abel's side as he brushed his lips over that sensitive patch of skin once again. "But...I suppose that's because you make it very hard to argue with you," Abel murmured softly, teasingly. 

The brunette's lips brushed down the side of his companion's neck, León sliding his leg over the priest's as his fingers continued to glide in lazy circles over Abel's pale skin. Abel let his legs tangle with León's, his fingers continuing to stroke through the other man's hair slowly. " _Tovaresh_." León whispered the word in the priest's ear, his breath ghosting over the delicate-looking shell.

A gasp escaped Abel at the sound of that word spoken so softly in his ear, and his arm slid around the larger man. The brunette pressed a final kiss to the side of the ivory-haired man neck, León settling his head back on the slighter man's shoulder. Abel felt a smile pulling at his lips and he gave León a little squeeze before whispering. "We really should sleep..." 

"Yeah yeah. I hear you." León sighed faintly, his dark eyes sliding closed as he resettled his arm around the blue-eyed man's waist. Chuckling softly, Abel pressed a gentle kiss to the top of León's head. "Sleep well," he murmured. 

His companion made a non-committal sound, sleep already beginning to tug at the brunette man. Abel said nothing more, only relaxed into the bed and let sleep overtake him again as well.

 

 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Abel looked up from his searching with a soft sigh, and brushed his bangs out of his eyes with the back of one gloved hand. It was easing toward mid-morning, and he and León had spent the last quarter hour searching the clearing at the end of the tunnel they'd discovered the night before. He wasn't sure exactly what they were looking for, save that they were trying to find anything out of the ordinary, anything at all that might help shed a little more light onto their investigation. He was about to call out to León to see how the other man was faring, when a glint of light caught his eye, and he looked toward it.

León was several yards away from the priest, the big shouldered man checking out the area around the dirt track that led from the clearing and into the forest in the direction of Valentia. While still a bit overgrown, there were signs that some of the brush and tree branches had been cut back, though it had not been recently. Further investigation of the tunnel had revealed that there had been improvements and small repairs made on the timbers that supported it, the door that led outside into the clearing also being a newer addition.

Their intent had been to follow the track to see where it led, but while they had traversed the tunnel, Abel had decided to make another circuit around the clearing since the light had been fading the night before and they had not been able to make a thorough search of the area. Abel knelt down, reaching out to brush away some soil from the object. "Well now..." he said, mostly to himself. "What's this?"

León meanwhile, had moved down the track a bit, Abel's soft tone not reaching him as he knelt down to take a closer look at what appeared to be tire tracks pressed into the spongy soil. Abel half-expected to discover that the glint was just a bit of broken glass. But as he continued to brush away dirt and bits of grass, he discovered that it wasn't a simple piece of glass at all. It appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be the tip of a sword blade. He lifted it up carefully, cautious about the edge, and tilted the broken end toward him, frowning when he found it to be hollow. "León?" He said, raising his tone a bit so the other man would hear him.

The other man lifted his head at the sound of his companion's voice and looked over in the direction where he had left seen Abel, spying the other man's kneeling form through the branches. Rising up to his feet, he made his way back to the clearing. "Whatcha got?" León asked as he approached the priest.

Abel rose to his feet slowly, cradling the hollowed blade in his hand as he did so. "What do you make of this?"

The dark-haired man frowned a bit as he caught sight of the silvery object in the other man's hand. "What the hell is that?" he asked as he reached and took it from Abel, finding it to be heavier then he expected. Holding the object in both hands, León took a few moments to study it, turning this way and that.

The silvery object appeared to have broken off from something, its edges slightly jagged and revealing a matte white underneath the silver, the shimmering hue flaking off a bit at places. "It looks like...plaster...

Tilting the piece up towards the light, León squinted one dark eye closed as he tried to see inside the object. "There's something in here... he said as he turned the piece in his hand, trying to get a better look.

"Can you tell what it is?"

León shook his dark head, the broad-shouldered man making a slight face as he tried to slip his fingers down inside the object. "Here," Abel said. "Let me try? My hands are a bit smaller than yours."

The other man pulled his fingers out and handed the silvery object over to the priest. Abel took the object back, cradling it in one hand as he slipped slender fingers into the plaster piece, and closed his eyes for a moment before he gasped, jerking his hand out and nearly dropping the plaster piece he was holding, a tiny crackling like static across his fingertips. "What the hell?" León's brown gaze went to the pale-haired man. "Abel?"

"I-I'm all right..." Abel said softly. "It just startled me..."

"Is there something inside? Did something bite you?"

"No...more of a shock," Abel murmured, frowning a bit as he fished into the plaster piece again.

The brunette's frown deepened a bit as he watched the priest, León thinking that maybe trying to get whatever was inside out, wasn't such a good idea after all. Abel frowned, and slipped his fingers back out again. "I can't get a decent grip on it," he said softly. "Perhaps we should send it on just like this...Let the professor poke at this as well."

"Maybe if we shoved a stick or something down inside and tried to pry it loose... León offered up.

"That might risk damaging whatever it is," Abel said. "I'd rather not do that...Let me try one last time..."

The dark-haired man nodded his ascent; his gaze watching carefully as the priest once again slipped his slim fingers down inside the silvery object. Abel grit his teeth a little, feeling another tiny jolt across his fingertips, but he ignored it this time, getting a grip on the object and gently prying it from the plaster. What came out in the priest's hand was a wafer-thin piece of opaque plastic that was perhaps the width of three of his fingers. The surface was embedded with tiny wires that gleamed with a copper sheen in the sunlight; as well as other tiny components that had been secured to its surface. "What in the world..." Abel's words trailed off as he looked the item over, making a soft sound as it sent another uncomfortable crackle across his hand. "León, take it," he murmured, holding the item out to the other man.

The brunette gave his partner a slightly confused look as he reached and took the fragile looking piece of plastic between his fingers, León holding it up so that he could get a closer look at it. Abel flexed his fingers once León had taken the tiny device, and slipped them into the bit of plaster one more time, but it seemed to him that he had managed to get everything. "A computer component of some kind..."

"What the hell was it doing in there?" León frowned as he looked from the component to Abel.

"Causing mischief, I'd say," Abel said softly. "I think that may have been what was causing some of my difficulties before..."

"This is what was making you freak out?" The brunette sounded a bit skeptical.

"I think it was a contributing factor..." Abel said, and on a hunch, pulled off his glove, unsurprised to find tiny bruises speckling his fingertips.

León looked down at his companion's slim pale hand. "How the hell...?" His brown eyes looked back at the priest's face.

"I'm not completely sure," Abel said, slipping the glove back on. "But I think we should send that along with the camera, and see what the Professor makes of it."

"No arguments out of me." The other man said with a nod of his head. "I'm guessing it's probably better if I hold on to it until we turn over."

"I would have to agree," Abel said, nodding.

León gave the component one last look before he slipped it within the folds of the sleeveless duster he was wearing over his robes, stowing it away in one of the pockets sewn inside. Abel rubbed his affected fingers absently and sighed. "We should head back. That courier's going to arrive soon and I'd like to make sure that goes off with the rest."

The dark-haired man nodded in agreement. "We can follow the track back. I'd lay money that it leads to Valentia."

"You're probably right. Let's go."

Taking the piece of silver-painted broken plaster with them, the pair started off on the dirt track that led from the clearing, the winding trail indeed leading them back to the city.

* * *

The track had ended about half a mile from the outskirts of what was the primary Methuselah section of Valentia, the majority of the city's population having clustered together in one section for the most part over the years. Unlike the grand Methuselah empire in the east however, there was no particle filter to protect its residents from the harmful UV radiation, which meant that the streets were nearly deserted save for the occasional human passing long the streets. The pair had little time to muse over the reason for the trail and its possible connection to the slaughter in the church before a quick glance at Abel's pocket watch showed them that it was nearly time for them to meet the courier that Sister Kate had dispatched.

The two made it to the rendezvous point with just minutes to spare before they were met by one of Cardinal Catarina's personal staff, Abel and León handing over the component and piece of silver-painted plaster they had found earlier, as well as the camera, which they had been carrying with them. With a bow, the courier had quietly departed to return to the ship that had brought him from Rome. Once that piece of business had been concluded, the pair was undecided as to what their next move should be, the two eventually deciding to make their way back towards their hotel and find a place to have lunch, León having not kept his promise of the night before in regards to breakfast.

As they neared the hotel, Abel almost immediately noticed the man walking toward them. It took a moment before he recognized the man as the detective that he and León had spoken to before. "How very fortunate I found you both," the man said, smiling when he saw the two men. "Especially as it seems I missed you before."

"Is something the matter, Detective?" Abel asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"No no, of course not," The detective replied. "I had just wondered if the two of you had made any progress on your investigation. According to my men, you've visited both crime scenes a few times."

"Is there something wrong with that?" León asked the man.

"No, of course not," The detective replied. "Although if you've been making any progress in your investigation, I would very much like to hear about it."

The brunette's eyes flicked to his companion, León silently asking Abel just how much if any information they should share with the man. Abel looked thoughtful. "Well, we can tell you some of it, I think. I have some questions for you, Detective, if you don't mind."

"No, not at all. I want this matter cleared up, Father, and as quickly as possible."

"We all do," Abel said. "So, why don't we find somewhere a bit more appropriate than the middle of the street to discuss this?"

The trio made their way to an outdoor café nearby that the detective was familiar with, the men arranging themselves around a small table, the policeman ordering a round of coffee for them. Abel had forgone the coffee, choosing instead a tea that he sweetened heavily, giving an almost sheepish look to the detective when the man gave him an odd look. The three sat in silence for a time, before the Detective looked at Abel. "You said you had a question for me?"

Abel nodded. "Yes. During one of our trips into the first church, my partner and I found a tunnel. Do you know anything about it?"

The man considered that for a few moments. "Yes, I seem to recall hearing something about that. It isn't terribly uncommon for the older churches in the area."

"Some kind of fire escape?" León asked the man.

"Not exactly." The detective took a sip of his coffee. "There are stories I've heard, dating back to before the peace between the Methuselah and the humans here that mention secret meetings between the two groups in the churches, using the sacred ground as kind of a neutral meeting place. The tunnels, if those stories are to be believed, were set up so the Methuselah could come and go from the churches unseen."

"That kinda makes sense." León said after a few moments. "Was there one at the other church too, do you know?"

"I believe so, though I couldn't tell you where it was."

Abel took a sip of his tea, and frowned a bit. "It wasn't mentioned in either of the reports...that seems strange for something you're saying is common, if dated, knowledge."

"Most of us assumed the tunnels either collapsed over time, or where blocked after peace was established between the two races."

"The one at the church where the first massacre happened has been repaired," León said as he looked at the detective, "and recently."

"I wasn't aware of that," The detective said, frowning.

"Do you know if the other one was sealed?"

"I thought so, but with this revelation, I can't really say for sure."

Abel closed his eyes for a moment. "Are there any other churches like that around here that may have tunnels that are untouched?"

"I don't know, but I can make a few inquiries and find out." León and Abel both nodded. "You're thinking that these tunnels might be how the perpetrators were able to get in and out of the churches without being seen." The detective said.

Abel nodded. "Yes, I believe it's definitely a possibility."

The other man nodded. "I'll get right on it as soon as I return to the station."

"Thank you very much," Abel said, smiling a bit, before leaning back in his chair a bit, thoughtful again.

"Have your people come up with anything else?" León asked the detective.

The three settled into conversation over their meals after that, the detective debriefing the two AX agents on what little information he had. There wasn't much. Just that most of the corpses that had been intact enough had been identified, and that a mass memorial service was going to be held once the whole situation was over with, to remember all of the victims of these strange massacres. The trio eventually parted company after about a half an hour or so later, the detective promising to get in touch with Abel and León as soon as he had some more information for them. The three shook hands, the policeman picking up the bill before he took his leave of the two AX agents. "Well...I'd say that went fairly well," Abel said as he and León headed back toward their hotel.

León nodded. "You didn't say anything about the camera or that electronics piece we found this morning."

"No, I didn't," Abel agreed, nodding. "I'd rather keep that to ourselves, at least until after the Professor has had a chance to look them over."

"So what now?"

Abel sighed softly. "Now, we hurry up and wait. I should probably make the rounds I typically would if I were here simply as a priest, and pray nothing else happens before the Professor is able to get a hold of us." He paused a moment, thoughtful. "Although it may be worth checking into the records and seeing just how many churches have those access tunnels. I know the good detective said he'd help us with that, but there may be some they've simply forgotten over time."

"If there is a record at all." León mused. "If they were supposed to be secret entrances, then they might never have been reported, even if it was supposed to be a common practice."

"It depends on what they were reported as," Abel replied. "If they were tagged as some kind of service corridor or the like, then perhaps. I admit, though, it would be quite the long shot."

"Yeah..." the brunette sighed a bit.

Abel looked over at the other man. "Are you all right?"

"Just thinking about digging through a pile of musty old records for a needle in a haystack."

The priest chuckled. "Well, I suppose I could look myself. It might give you some time to relax. I know you don't get much of that."

"I thought I could maybe do a little detective work of my own." León said. "Do a little poking around...check out what the locals have to say..."

Abel considered that and nodded. "A good idea," He said, smiling.

"That settles it then."

"Shall we get to it, then? And perhaps meet somewhere for dinner to discuss what we've found? We have the radios, if anything unexpected comes up."

León nodded. "Sounds good."

* * *

It was late into the evening when Abel and León caught up with one another, the pair arranging to rendezvous at a restaurant a few blocks from their hotel, León having contacted Abel to let him know that he would be later then he had originally thought. Abel was already waiting, lingering just outside the restaurant when the big brunette finally appeared, the priest doing a slight double-take. After the two had parted ways earlier, León had returned to their hotel room and changed his clothes, trading in his priest's robes for more civilian attire, the brown-eyed man dressed in clothing of the local style.

He had waved off Abel's questions until after the two had been seated, the shaggy-haired man then explaining that he had spent the day talking to some of the local merchants and tavern patrons, gleaning what information he could from the different rumors that had been circulating regarding the massacres. The overall feeling seemed to be that vampires had been responsible, though for the moment most believed that it was the work of rogue vampires from outside of the city and not those who were residing there. The citizens were fearful of another attack, many of those who attended churches that also served Methuselah, actively talking about attending other churches or forgoing attendance at all until the perpetrators had been found and apprehended.

Once León had finished his report, Abel told his companion of his own findings, the priest having spent his afternoon at the main Basilica, gleaning through construction records. Of the handful of churches that had recorded tunnels, from what he had found, only three others aside from the two churches that they already knew about, had what had been labeled as "service entrances" according to the records. While that looked to be encouraging as far as their search was considered, the records had been well over fifty years old which meant that it was possible that they were no long in existence or usable.

By the time they had finished dinner, the two had already made plans to check out the three churches that Abel had come up with and then go from there based on what they either did or didn't find. That search took them most of the rest of the day, and the results were encouraging, but not conclusive. One of the corridors mentioned had collapsed a few years before during a storm, and no efforts had been made to try and repair it. The other two were still intact, however, which made them likely targets. Using Abel's charm and disarming manner, the pair gained access to first one church and then the other, the two men combing over the interior of the chapels looking for anything suspicion. They came up empty-handed on both accounts, neither one of them having a statue of the archangel Michael nor one of the heavy crosses that Abel had seen at the first two churches.

Once they were finished with both churches, they headed back to the hotel, and it was as Abel was filling out his report for the day that he finally spoke, having fallen into a thoughtful silence on the trip back. "It's going to be one of those churches next..." He said softly, laying down his pen and pulling off his glasses. "I know it will...either one would be a larger target than the last..."

"Yeah." León agreed, the brunette lying on the bed, the pillows piled behind his dark head as he looked at the other man. "But when and which one? That's the question."

"I'm not sure..." Abel pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "The only good way to know would be to keep watch on both of them."

"A stakeout?"

"Yes, I think so. Unpleasant, but I think necessary." León let out a frustrated sound, not finding the idea to be very appealing. "I know," Abel said, looking over at León, in spite of the fact that without his glasses, he couldn't really see the man clearly.

"When do you want to start?"

"My instinct says tonight...once I've finished with this," he said, indicating the paperwork. "Barring that, probably tomorrow."

León pushed himself up and swung his long legs over the side of the bed to the floor before rising to his bare feet. Abel blinked and reached for his glasses, slipping them back on so he could regard the other man. The brunette easily closed the small distance between the two of them. "I vote for tomorrow." He said.

The priest smiled. "That doesn't really surprise me," He said.

León reached out, his fingers tangling in the tail of ivory hair tied at the back of Abel's head, winding the silky locks around his hand as he pulled the man's head back a bit. Abel's smile grew considerably at that as his gaze was directed up to León by the gesture. "I tell you what," he whispered softly. "We'll stay here tonight...I can make my rounds as a traveling priest tomorrow...I'll check the churches again while I'm at it. We can start the stake-out tomorrow night, so that we're both rested and sharp...it'll also give the Professor some time to get back to us."

"I thought you might see things my way." The dark-eyed man said as he leaned down towards Abel.

Abel chuckled as he leaned up a bit. "You drive a hard bargain."

León tilted his head a bit as their lips met, the brunette smiling. Abel smiled into the kiss himself, breaking it after a few moments. "Now go get comfortable and let me finish this report so I can come lay down, hm?"

The brunette made another frustrated sound. "Yeah, yeah...

Abel chuckled, and leaned up to brush another light kiss across León's lips. "I won't be long," He promised. León gave the priest's hair a playful little tug before he released him. Chuckling again at that, Abel turned his attention back to his reports.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

 

Abel hunched down a little in his hiding place, and sighed, pushing a wet clump of hair from his eyes. The storm clouds that had been gathering for the two past days had finally unleashed their wrath on the world below. It was no coincidence, as far as the priest was concerned, that the storm had waited until he and León had already started their stakeouts on the two churches.

León had already been grumbling by the end of the first day, the rain only adding to his complaints as their watch segued into a second day and night. It wasn't so much the weather that he disliked as much as the inactivity, the brunette man having a great dislike for sitting idle, a trait that made his time in prison seem like being sentenced to hell. The two kept in radio contact, checking in regularly with one another, though neither had anything to report. Abel did what he could to try and help ease León some, but there was little he could say. Although he was decidedly more patient than his partner, Abel wasn't enjoying this particular stakeout at all, and had already decided that if too much more time passed with nothing, he'd suggest they give it up and figure out something else.

* * *

Huddled within his robes, León's shoulders were hunched against the rain, his brown eyes trained on the hedge of overgrown shrubs just below his vantage point. Though it was raining quite steadily, he still had a relatively good view and would be able to see anyone approaching the hidden entrance on the other side of the hedge. Abel was positioned similarly, though he was at the other church clear across town, tucked into a small cubby where his dark uniform would ensure he stayed hidden. He reached up and pressed a button, activating his radio. "Anything yet?" he asked softly.

A grunt was the first response. "Only an idiot would be out in this weather." León's voice crackled over the communicator.

"I'll take that as a no," Abel said, smiling weakly.

"I think we're just wasting our time," the other man continued on. "At least until this weather breaks."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Abel said, "If I was going to try something, this weather would be perfect for it."

"If you were go to try something that involved fish maybe."

"Maybe, I..." Abel trailed off, frowning a little as he squinted through his rain-speckled lenses into the darkness.

"Abel?" León's voice sounded in his ear.

"A moment, León," Abel said, moving just a little to get a better view. "I think my patience might have paid off..."

On his end, the brunette frowned, wondering what was going on.

Abel took his hand down away from the radio, creeping silently from his hiding place to try and get a closer look. The door to the tunnel had opened, and a dark figure slipped out. Abel frowned. _How in the world did he sneak in there without my seeing?_ He thought.

As the priest continued to watch, another figure slipped out, this one decidedly more slender than the first, and the two began making their way back down the street from where the tunnel let out. Abel reached up, tapping a button on his radio. "Are you still there?" He asked in a whisper.

"Where else am I going to be?" León asked in response. "Someplace dry and warm?"

"Listen," Abel said softly. "I've got two unidentified individuals coming out of my church. I didn't see them go in... I'm going to try and follow them."

"Want me to join you?"

"Yes," Abel said, rattling off his current location. "I'll try to keep you informed as we move, but keep out of sight, just in case."

"Gotcha."

* * *

Abel let his hand drop away from his radio then, and emerged from his hiding place. He followed the two strangers as they wound their way through the tangle of Valentia's streets. Abel kept to the shadows mostly, trusting in his dark robes and the pelting rain to keep him hidden in the darkness. When he could spare a moment, and could risk speaking without being heard, he would radio his position to León, before hurrying to catch up with the two again, rarely waiting to make sure the other man was getting his brief broadcasts.

Eventually, he and his quarry emerged from the streets into a section of town near the unspoken border between the Terran and Methuselah parts of the city. The buildings here were old, but in decent repair, except for a massive structure in the center of a circular plaza, a structure that looked like it might have been a church at one time. But this church, unlike the others Abel and León had seen, was badly in need of repair. Many of the stained glass windows were broken; much of the stonework was crumbling. It looked like something right out of a gothic horror story to Abel, who shivered a little at the sight of it.

When he saw the two he had been pursuing walking into that dilapidated shell, however, the priest frowned. Reaching up, he tapped his radio again. "My two mysterious friends have just headed into a church. I'm right in between the Terran and Methuselah sections of the city. I'm going to follow them."

Without waiting for León to respond, Abel dropped his hand away from his radio again. As he neared the front of the church, his eyes swept back and forth, his hands tucked into his robes now, one of them resting comfortably on the pistol he carried. He didn't _see_ any kind of cameras, but he knew better than to assume there weren't any. Exhaling a soft breath, he felt another twinge of nerves when he saw the front door had been left ajar. Whether this was to keep up the appearance of an abandoned building, or a silent invitation for the priest to follow his quarry, Abel wasn't really sure. Given the sinking feeling in his stomach, however, he had a feeling it was more than likely the latter.

He hesitated for a few moments. Abel knew he should wait for León to join him, but he wasn't sure he actually _had_ that kind of time. He also didn't think anything would really come up that he wouldn't be able to handle on his own. In the end, it was the pressing instinct that he couldn't afford to wait that made Abel grip his gun a little tighter, and slip into the church.

The interior was nearly as dark as the exterior had been, as Abel entered silently. There was no sign of his quarry now, and that bothered the priest, his stomach knotting tightly. Instincts honed by years of doing this kind of work were starting to rouse, and he couldn't help but feel like the situation was rapidly turning against him, in spite of the fact that he didn't see any evidence that the two he'd been pursuing had noticed him. It was only when he saw the gleam of a gun barrel that he realized they knew he was there, and with a hollow _thowk_ , Abel felt a sharp pain in his arm, and the room almost immediately began to tilt at an odd angle. _I've been drugged,_ the priest thought, and felt for his radio with a hand that was rapidly going numb. "León?" He murmured.

No answer.

"...León?"

Still nothing.

Abel repressed the urge to curse as he took a step forward, and nearly stumbled over his own feet. Already, he couldn't summon the concentration to call on the Crusnik, which might have been enough to flush the tranquilizer from his system. And as he felt his balance go, and was dimly aware of the ground rushing up to meet him, Abel wondered if León was very far away.

Then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Cursing both the weather and his partner, León grumbled his way through the twisting streets of Valentia, his broad shoulders hunched against the rain. Abel's sporadic communications only made the dark-haired man grumble even more. Each time that León tried to caution him to wait; he was cut off before the words could barely form on his tongue. Though the priest had given him directions during his short messages, in the darkness and drenching rain, León had found himself lost more than once, something that did little to improve his disposition.

"RRRRRRR...goddamn it!" Gnashing his teeth, León slammed his fist against the side of the building -- a building that he had passed twice already, the brunette man getting turned around in the narrow twisting streets. "I swear I'm going to kill him..." he growled under his breath, as the rain poured down the back of his neck, his already heavy robes even more so from the downpour.

"Dandelion..." A male voice crackled in León's ear. "Dandelion, do you hear me?"

"Abel?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no." The voice replied.

"Professor..." León immediately recognized the cultured tone of his AX teammate.

"One and the same." William Walter Wordsworth chuckled.

León moved under a nearby awning. "What's the special occasion?"

"I've been trying to reach Father Abel, but I haven't been able to get through." The other man replied.

"Probably this damn weather," the brunette said. "If I get any more water-logged I'm going to turn into a damn frog."

"Which is, of course, scientifically impossible."

León groaned. _Somebody save me, please..._ "Professor..." he said, hoping to steer the man back on to whatever track had spurred the communication.

"Hmm? Oh yes, Father Abel...I've finished my analysis on the items that you sent."

"And?"

"Well the camera contained some rather...disturbing images." Wordsworth replied.

"Disturbing how?" León asked, though he already had a pretty good idea just what the camera had recorded.

"Methuselah," the other responded. "Killing, quite viciously, a number of Terrans before turning on themselves." The Professor's voice fell in tone. "It was really quite disturbing."

"What about the other?" León asked. "That circuit thing?"

"A very curious piece of technology." Wordsworth said. "It was very similar to some of the circuit boards that were part of the Silent Noise system."

_Crap..._

"Where did you say that you found it again?" The Professor asked.

"Inside a piece of what used to be statue...look Professor, are you sure?"

"Quite sure." the other man replied. "I made a personal study of the device myself. León, have you and Abel discovered another Silent Noise device?"

"I don't know," León answered with a slight shake of his wet head.

Wordsworth fell silent on the other end.

"Professor?"

"I'm here, just thinking over something."

León rolled his dark eyes. "Well hurry it up, I don't have all night."

"Patience, my son..."

The brunette growled. Those who knew León knew that he had very little patience.

After what seemed like an eternity, Wordsworth's voice crackled in the broad-shouldered man's ear again, "León."

"Still here," the brown-eyed man replied.

The Professor's tone was all professional as he spoke. "I definitely think we're dealing with something based on the principals of the Silent Noise system. But instead of causing buildings to collapse, I think it's being used to incite the Methuselah virus and drive them into a blood frenzy. The recording...the device that you found...it's the only logical conclusion I can come up with."

"Jesus Christ..." León breathed out the words, unaware that he had even spoken.

"Yes...trouble with a capital 'T'."

"Abel was following a couple of characters," the brunette said. "The last message I got from him was that they were headed into a place right at the edge of the Methuselah part of the city."

"It's imperative that we stop that machine." Wordsworth said.

"Understood." León nodded. "I'm on it."

"Good luck."

"Thanks." The broad-shouldered man heard a slight click as Wordsworth severed the connection.

_Just fucking wonderful...that's all we need..._

"Abel..." León tried hailing his partner, only to be met by silence on the pale-haired man's end. "Abel...come in . . ."

He tried several more times to reach Abel, but to no avail. Grumbling under his breath, León stepped back out into the rain. He took a few moments to take stock of his location before he headed up the street at a jog.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

 

Jogging through the pouring rain towards Abel's last reported position, León tried several times to hail the priest, only to be continually met with silence. Though he had told Wordsworth that he had thought it had been the weather interfering with their communication devices, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else had happened to cause Abel not to respond. León was edging closer to the Methuselah part of the city, the streets just as deserted as they had been throughout his trek. Stopping on a corner for a moment, the brunette checked his bearings, looking for the building that matched the description that Abel had given him before setting off again.

* * *

Hidden in the shadows across the street, León studied the crumbling former church, the gray stone building dimly lit by a few street lights, their light feeble in the pouring rain. The building was set in a circular plaza, apart from the other dilapidated structures around it. The whole area seemed to exude an air of decay and neglect, something that León found odd, considering that most cities with large Methuselah populations were well kept and cared for.

León could see no lights from inside, or any signs of occupation, the church looking empty and abandoned from his vantage point. Before settling in his present position, he had made a circuit around the building looking for Abel, even trying to hail him once more. There was no sign of the man nor did he receive an answer, not that he had expected to by that point. _Squatting in the rain isn't going to accomplish anything_ , he said to himself before he rose back up to his feet. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out his pistol and began to edge towards the building, keeping to the shadows for as long as he could before darting across the street.

* * *

The darkness receded slowly, loosening its hold on Abel reluctantly. He could still hear the rain outside, running down to gather in puddles on the floor, as it dripped through holes in the fragmented windows. He was also conscious of the presence of another and the rattle of chains as he tried to move. A spike of panic drew him closer to consciousness and he looked around. The room was dim, the priest looking down to find himself bound in heavy chains. He wondered how he had gotten there, and then remembered being drugged. The wound from the tiny dart still stung a bit, reaffirming he hadn't dreamt it.

Although his speed and strength were beyond that of a natural human, Abel still couldn't break the chains on his own, and he couldn't quite summon the concentration he needed to try and activate his nano-machines to escape. Then his thoughts turned to León, and Abel prayed silently that his friend was all right. He didn't have time for much else however, as unconsciousness stole over him once again.

* * *

 

How much time had passed before he woke again, Abel didn't know. But as he came to slowly, he realized that he felt more clear-headed than he had earlier, but not much. The rain hadn't lessened at all, and the man wondered how long he had been out altogether. The chamber was still dimly lit; and for the first time, he was aware enough to make out the huddled forms of several smaller figures nearby.

"Hello?" he called out softly, his voice thick in his throat, likely a side-effect of the still dissipating tranquilizers.

The priest was met with the soft sound of crying, the figures edging away, closer to the wall at their backs. "It's all right." Abel said his tone softer now, the priest doing his best to be soothing. "I'm not going to hurt you." He looked down at the chains binding him. "I'm not really in a position to, after all."

After a few moments, one of the figures lifted its head and looked in the direction of the bound man. Abel could discern large liquid blue eyes under a mop of dark hair, the figure reaching up to rub at its eyes with a grubby hand. Abel tried to smile a bit, trying to catch the child's eyes with his. "Here now, no more tears...how did you come to be here, child?" He asked.

"A. . . a man...he brought me here..." the voice that answered the priest was female, and young.

"Did he say why?" Forcing himself to think, and to speak coherently gave Abel something to focus on, and he was grateful for it, not wanting to pass out again.

The girl shook her head. "I didn't want to...but -- but he made me..."

_That makes no sense...why bring children here, of all places?_ "How many of you are there, hiding over there? This old priest can't see so well in this darkness."

"T-Three."

"Are all of you all right?" Abel asked, shifting a little to test his bindings.

The girl nodded in the affirmative.

"Good," Abel said with a tiny nod. "I don't suppose any of you would be able to come over here and untie me, would you?"

It was a long shot at best, but Abel didn't have many other options. Although his head was becoming decidedly clearer, with the children so close by, he didn't dare try to change. There was a rattle of chains as the girl shook her head. She and her companions, who were still huddled together, were all chained to the wall and held by shackles around their ankles. "That's all right," Abel said softly. "With any luck, someone should be looking for me, and there's a very good chance he'll find us soon. Then we can all leave together."

"P-Promise...?" One of the other children had raised their head, this one another girl but with golden blonde hair.

"I promise," Abel said, nodding and then stiffening a little, an uncomfortable prickle going down his spine as a faint ringing started in his ears. _Oh God, no..._ He thought, his stomach sinking. _Not now..._

* * *

Carlina was feeling very smug indeed, Rey thought, watching his employer as she stared intently at a small, black and white monitor. Her eyes were glued to it in such a way as to suggest a cat watching a particularly tasty-looking mouse. And that kind of predatory look meant only one thing; she was using her device, likely on the strange priest they'd captured, and the Methuselah kids caught down there with him.

The man himself wasn't really all that strange. He didn't look like much, maybe a bit old for his age, with hair gone white far too soon for the seeming youth of his face. And he was certainly more of a bookworm than a fighter, as far as Rey could tell, from his fragile build right down to the spectacles on his face. It made Rey wonder just why the man was so damned important, or why Carlina thought he was such a threat that she'd had him tranquilized, and bound in the heaviest chains Rey could lay hands on.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the window again. The room he and his employer were sitting in was on the second floor, the window giving a decent view of the stone courtyard outside, the only door in the room leading out onto a balcony that circled the circumference of the upper floor, but still gave a very clear view of the chapel below. He should know, after all. He'd been the one who'd spent the last few days hanging heavy floodlights at the corners of that balcony, and it hadn't escaped him just how easily he might have killed himself if he'd fallen. But he'd said nothing about it, though. He didn't want to chance getting fired.

Or worse.

Carlina had approached him not long after coming to Valentia, having contacted him through one of the many circuitous roads that led to the Hispanian black market. He'd done a lot of work in his time, everything from bouncer to bodyguard to sniper, and had developed something of a reputation for both his size and his sharp shooting abilities. And those were the tasks he'd been hired to do. What he _hadn't_ expected was to become Carlina's personal go-fer. Nor had he expected to be ordered to capture Methuselah children.

The very thought of that made Rey a little ill. He had his doubts about using the girls at all. Methuselah or not, they were _children._ However, Carlina had been as adamant about him finding Methuselah for this experiment, or whatever the hell it was she was doing, as she had been about tying up the priest with chains. And it beat having to live with yet another church congregation's death on his hands.

He had helped Carlina set up her strange device, hidden in those damned heavy statues, as well as the cameras she'd insisted on adding, to be able to look over her handiwork later. All of this, she went about with a clinical detachment that would have been interesting, if she hadn't been using people as her lab rats. And when she'd started fixating on that priest after he showed up at both the churches, she'd shown Rey a side that was something a bit obsessive, perhaps even crazed.

And so here they were, sitting in a room, him watching for anyone who wasn't supposed to be around, Carlina with her eyes glued to that damned monitor. He had a bad feeling about this all the way around, and it was the kind of gut feeling you started getting after you'd been doing dangerous work long enough. It was the instinct that usually led him to get out while he could. This time, though, he just couldn't do that. He hadn't actually _been_ paid yet. Carlina had promised him his fee only after her final experiment, which he was both guessing and praying would be this one, was completed. And the fee she'd agreed to pay was substantial enough that he didn't want to bail out on it now.

Rey's eyes scanned the courtyard as his mind wandered, but there wasn't much to see, especially in this storm. No plants grew in that stone expanse, the buildings all around them hunched like vagabonds trying to ward off the weather. And no Methuselah children, nor human children, played here anymore. Not since three of their playmates disappeared without a trace after wandering too close to the church. But it was no ghost that stole them away, only a man with a gun using threats on children too young to understand the great power they held. A man who suddenly sat upright in his chair when he caught sight of a bulky, dark figure moving across the courtyard.

He wasn't _policia_ , Rey could tell that right away. Military, maybe, melting from one shadow to the next like a phantom. " _Señorita_ ," he said, raising his voice just enough to be heard, and not taking his eyes from the window. "We have company coming. Want me to take care of it before it gets too nosy?"

The silence that stretched between them likely only lasted a few moments, but it felt much longer. "No, Rey, that's quite all right. I rather imagine it's our current guest's little friend."

"Not so little, _Señorita._ He seems like a rather large man to me."

Carlina actually laughed at that. "All the better. If he's going to be so damned persistent, he can be a part of our little experiment."

Rey repressed a shiver; he really hated the way she said that word, tasting it like a fine wine, and it made that little instinct of his hum somewhere in the back of his mind. It didn't get any softer when the woman rose to her feet, and looked over at him. "Come, Rey," she said. "It's almost time, and I plan on witnessing _this_ firsthand."

She started toward the door, then paused and looked back at him. "Oh, and bring that rifle of yours. We might just need it."

Rey lifted the weapon and repressed a sigh as he followed after Carlina, and as he did, he couldn't help but wonder if the money he was so close to being paid was actually going to be worth the trouble.

He was starting to think it wasn't.

* * *

Using the darkness and shadows, León edged his way along the front wall of the dilapidated church, pausing when he reached the doorway. Taking a few moments, he scanned the area around the building once again before slipping into the shadowed doorway. Like Abel before him, the broad-shouldered man found one of the scarred and pitted wooden doors slightly ajar. Bringing his gun up, León silently slipped through the opening and into the darkened interior beyond.

* * *

Inside, achingly close but as yet unaware of his partner's presence, Abel had fallen into an agonized silence. What had begun as an uncomfortable prickling across his skin was turning into full-blown pain, the ringing in his ears growing steadily louder. When he could beat the pain off successfully, he spoke with the girls he'd been trapped with, trying to reassure them even as his control continued to slip, the priest's eyes sweeping around the room to look for the source of his discomfort.

* * *

Leon found himself in what appeared to be a small alcove of some kind, the broken glass windows letting in a small bit of light. There was another set of doors before him that he surmised probably led into the main chapel. On silent feet, he padded to the doors, leaning in close to see if he could hear anything on the other side, his pistol up and ready. The dark-haired man could hear nothing however, the wooden doors thick, clearly designed to keep the outside cold from reaching the chapel itself. León adjusted his grip on his pistol before reaching for the handle on the door, slowly pulling it open.

The door opening sent a shaft of hazy light into the dark chapel, and it was to that light that Abel's gaze, glowing very softly, was drawn. A scent reached him, and his eyes took in the broad-shouldered silhouette, and a weak, shaky smile touched his lips. He knew that figure almost as well as he knew his own. León. "Thank the Lord..." he whispered, his voice hoarse and gravelly, thin in the otherwise silent room.

León took a moment or two to let his eyes adjust to the darker room as he plastered his back against the wall, his pistol up as he made a sweep of the room. It was dim in the chapel, but not quite pitch black, both the open doorway he was standing in and the broken window also letting in a trace of light from outside. Not to mention a fair bit of the storm. And then, of course, there were Abel's eyes, two thin slits of dull red in the darkness, though he'd shifted away from the three young girls, not wanting to frighten them. No one knew better than Abel did, that there were plenty of rumors about the "monster" the Vatican kept, and that this "monster" was a predator of vampires, and he preferred not to let on just what he was if he could avoid it.

His back still to the wall and his gun up, Leon slowly began to edge around the room, the dark-haired man's eyes darting around the interior of the chapel as he moved, his voice a mere whisper. "Abel?"

"...I'm here," Came the soft, hoarse sound of the priest's voice.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Be careful..." Abel's voice was almost ghostly in the empty room. "...I'm afraid this may be a trap..."

"Really, Junior? " León carefully made his way around the chapel, towards the other man's voice. "I never would have guessed."  Though he couldn't really see in the dimness, he got the impression that the room was mostly empty, his and Abel's voices echoing just slightly.

"There are others here with me. Kidnapped children," Abel rasped, and then any other words he might have had were cut off as metal shutters slammed down over the doors and windows, the sound deafening in the room. Several high-powered lights flared on, bathing the room in brilliance that was enough to make Abel wince, even with his eyes closed. León swore as he instinctively brought his hand up to shield his eyes against the sudden glare.

"Welcome to my parlor, Gentlemen." Came a woman's voice, as ghostly as Abel's had been.

León's gun swung in the direction of the voice, the big brunette squinting a bit as his eyes adjusted to the bright light. The woman was keeping behind the lights, making her hard to see. "I think you're going to like my little surprise."

"I wouldn't bet on it, sister," León said.

A laugh echoed from one of the shadowed corner, and the woman stepped into slightly better sight. Although her face was still obscured, her hand wasn't, and she held a very familiar icon, a heavy metal cross. "Oh, I rather think you will. After all, I'm sure you recognize this, don't you?"

"It's a cross," the dark-haired man said. "You see'em everywhere."

The woman laughed, the sound thoroughly delighted. Abel looked toward the woman, and his eyes widened when he saw the item. "León...the other two churches...those crosses..."

Another laugh echoed from the shadows. "Ah, so glad you've enjoyed my handiwork, Fathers...perhaps you'd like to see it firsthand?"

This particular cross was a bit more ornate than the others had been, and a touch to a "jewel" suddenly had Abel's eyes wide, his hands clenching tightly as the ringing in his ears cut out all other sound. Whatever the cross did had no effect on León, though the brunette man spared a moment for a quick glance in Abel's direction before his brown eyes swung back towards the woman, his gun still up and trained on her. "Whatever you did, undo it."

She laughed. "Oh, I have no intentions of that. I've been curious to see how Father Crusnik ticks..." Her tone became thoughtful and she stepped further into the shadows again. "Tell me, how long do you suppose those chains will hold him?"

León's dark eyes narrowed, his finger tightening on the trigger of his gun. "This is the last time I'm going to tell you..." he growled out.

"You're about to have bigger problems than me." The woman said, then looked to Rey, giving a little gesture. "A non-fatal shot, if you please."

Looking ill at ease, the man looked from his gun to Carlina, then to the priest. She glared at him, and he felt his stomach twist as he stepped up, and a moment later, the crack of a gun echoed, deafening in the enclosed space. The shot was followed by screams, the three young girls chained to the wall near Abel crying out, one of them wailing louder then the others.

"Rena!" The dark haired girl that had first spoken to Abel clutched at one of her companions, the golden blonde that had made him promise to free them, as she slid to the floor, the girl sobbing hysterically. The shot had caught her in her thigh.

Abel's eyes flew toward the girls at that, the scent of blood smacking into him like a physical blow. He let out a low sound, straining against his bonds, electricity crackling across his skin as he did. The moment that scent reached him, he suddenly realized why those girls had been taken, their blood unmistakable to the Crusnik's senses.

"What the hell?!?" Leon's eyes went to Abel and the girls. "You crazy bitch!"

"L-León..." Abel's voice was a growl now. "You have to get them out of here..." The blood flowing from the little girl rippled, creeping across the floor slowly in Abel's direction.

"Oh...damn it!" The dark-haired man's eyes widened at the sight. "No." _Crap...they're vampires..._

"So tell me, Father Crusnik, do you like my little toy?" The woman's voice floated conversationally down from the upper floor, before she looked at her underling again. "And now him, if you don't mind."

The gun cracked again, and Abel howled as blood blossomed from his chest. The pain of his wound and the scent of Methuselah blood so achingly close began driving his hunger, the Crusnik starting to struggle even more in his bindings. The children seemed to have some sense that something was wrong with the priest, and the two who were yet uninjured watched him with wide, frightened eyes, closing ranks around their wounded companion.

"ABEL!" Leon's voice rang out nearly as loud as the gunshot had. "You crazy..." he growled out, his eyes blazing as he pulled the trigger, firing at the woman.

The shot pinged off a stone wall, and the woman laughed. "Now, now," she said, but her taunting was silenced by the sound of snapping metal, followed quickly thereafter by the rattle of chains.

León's dark head swung towards the sound, another curse leaving his lips as he watched Abel, the priest having snapped through the bonds holding him. The Crusnik rose to his feet slowly, with the fluid motions of a predator, his eyes swinging to the source of the blood that even now trickled across the floor toward him.

_Crap..._ the brunette's eyes went from Abel to the woman and then back to the priest. As much as he wanted to blow the woman's head off for what she had done, stopping Abel from making a meal of the Methuselah children seemed more important at the moment. The two of them could always come back for the woman if need be. "Abel!" León called out to the other man.

That seemed to bring the Crusnik back to himself, at least briefly, his bloody gaze moving to León. Abel's eyes were alien as they looked at the other man, León having never had that crimson gaze turned on him in quite that fashion before. The broad-shouldered man slowly stepped towards his partner, his gun still up. "C'mon Junior," he said. "Just step away from the kids, okay?"

Abel's eyes flicked from León to the gun in his hand, and the Crusnik turned away, the wound in his chest closing down as he turned back toward the three huddled children again. Whimpers sounded from the huddled forms, the blonde girl sobbing softly as the other two clung to her, their eyes wide with fear as they looked at the ivory-haired man.

León aimed his gun up towards the roof and fired a shot in warning. "C'mon, Four-Eyes," he said "Don't make me do something that we're both going to regret later on."

If the Crusnik could even hear him now, there was no sign of it, the priest continuing on his slow trek, a sound akin to a purr rising in his throat as the blood that was creeping across the floor in a thin stream began to move more quickly, as if rushing toward the nano-machines that were aching so badly to be fed.

The girls had cried out at the second gunshot, and the trio huddled even closer as Abel started towards them again. Leon let out a low frustrated growl, the brunette launching himself at the pale-haired man in an attempt to stop him. The growl alerted Abel, even if León's footsteps hadn't, and the priest stopped, swinging around with a backhanded blow, intent on halting the man's attack. The blow caught León in the jaw, Abel's Crusnik strength sending the big man sailing backwards into several pews that had been grouped together out of the way, León's bulk shattering the rotted wood into pieces as he collided with them.

Abel was still a moment, his gaze emotionless as he regarded León, before turning his full attention on the other man. The consistent high-pitched whine in his ears was driving his nano-machines into a frenzy, and he felt the percentage creeping up slowly, his wings bursting from his back as he started toward his fellow AX agent. León was struggling a bit to get up, the dark-haired man having hit his head against one of the pews pretty hard. Somehow he had managed to keep hold of his gun, the weapon still clutched tightly in his hand. As he sat up, he looked to see where Abel was, León swearing when he saw the wings as the man descended on him.

Carlina smiled a bit when she saw that. Aside from her overall fascination with the Crusnik himself, she couldn't help but feel just a little smug that her recent refinements to her device were working, allowing her to target an individual, driving the Crusnik into a blood lust without affecting the children. Abel was ignorant of her observations, having forgotten about her in favor of León, only dimly aware of the thin trickle of blood that kept following him everywhere as he moved, his feeding nearly within his grasp, if not for the interruptions.

The pale-haired priest was only a few feet away from him when León regained his feet. _At least I got his attention away from them...although what the hell am I supposed to do now?_

The wings flexed unconsciously, flaring a little before relaxing again, and Abel lashed out in another back-handed blow. His gaze, glowing brightly with the increase in power, showed no flicker of recognition. The blow sent León sliding across the floor once again, this time to the opposite wall, his large frame hitting with such force that the dry-rotted wood paneling split from the impact.

Carlina tapped her lips, then looked to her underling again. "Another shot," she said. "Between his shoulder blades. Let's up the ante a bit."

The bark of a gun came from somewhere behind him, and the bullet hit Abel square between the shoulder blades, making the Crusnik stumble forward a step, a pained cry falling from his lips. He turned back toward the lights again, toward the source of the gunshot, and the source of a blood smell that wasn't his own. His eyes darted back and forth, trying to seek out the source of the new attack.

_What is she, insane?_ Leon pulled himself up to his feet, a trickle of blood over his left eye.

Abel brought a hand straight out in front of him, drawing on the blood flowing from his own rapidly closing wound, as well as the blood of the Methuselah girl who'd been injured, his scythe taking shape. When it was prepared for him, his hand closed down on it, his scarlet gaze promising death to someone. Then he began moving again, toward the lights, Carlina...

...And the children.

Leon shoved his gun into the sash around his waist, the dark-haired man slipping two of the chakram from his wrists and into his hands, the silver coated rings glinting a bit in the bright light. Abel's target, at least for the moment, had nothing to do with the terrified children cowering nearby. His eyes met Carlina's for only a brief moment, before he was a blur of motion, launching himself toward the light and the woman hiding in the shadows beyond it, his scythe swinging with deadly accuracy. Rey, seeing death coming in the form of a demon that his gun wouldn't stop, dropped his weapon and ran, screaming. He only made it a few steps before he was cut down, falling to the ground with a bloody thump. Carlina's eyes were wide, and she began scrambling backwards for the door she had come through originally. This was something she hadn't been expecting, a part of the experiment she hadn't planned for.

León limped towards the chained captives, the big man trying to stay out of the priest's peripheral vision, his concern more for the children then the crazy bitch who had been toying with them.

"Was this how you killed him!?" Carlina was shrieking, tripping over her minion's corpse and falling backwards with a dull sound. "Was this how you brought him down?!"

She never did get the answer she was looking for, as another sweep of Abel's scythe sent her to her death with a final shriek. The task finished, Abel leaped back down to the lower floor, his attention turning back to his original target again. The Crusnik found his way blocked by León, the broad-shouldered man positioned in front of where the huddled figures had been. While Abel's attention had been on the shrieking woman, León had used the razor-sharp blades of one of his chakram to cut through the chains holding the three girls, the big man twirling one of the silvery rings on his fingers as he looked at the priest.

Abel's eyes narrowed at that, his grip on his scythe tightening; there was no recognition in his eyes, seeing León as nothing more than an obstruction between him and his prey. "Alright, Junior;" León said. "Nobody but you and me now."

Abel only growled softly, his stance widening in a tell-tale sign he was about to put the scythe in his hands to good use. The trickle of blood that had been following him like a loyal puppy was dangerously close to him now, and it would only take that tendril reaching him to let him feed and begin replenishing his rapidly waning strength. Before the priest could make a move however, León let fly with the chakram, the silver-coated ring spinning towards the pale-haired man. As the chakram began spinning toward him, the Crusnik started to dart forward, sweeping in with his scythe as he moved to the side a bit in an attempt to avoid the spinning ring. He hadn't planned on it traveling at him in an arc, however, and it struck him full in the face, the impact making a dull sound, and shattering his glasses. The wound blinded him momentarily, and he staggered back a step, the scythe falling from his hands as they went to cover his injured face.

León immediately slid another chakram from his wrist as soon as he released the first, the dark-haired man creeping towards his injured companion warily. The Crusnik clawed away the broken remains of his glasses, tiny shards of glass tearing temporary furrows in his pale skin, Abel staggering back a second step as he waited for his vision to clear. It only took moments and his gaze went immediately to León again, before darting around, looking for the prey the man had released.

"Sorry, old pal," León said. "But they couldn't stay for dinner."

The Crusnik snarled at that, and lashed out with a back-handed strike aimed at the human, all the while scenting for the prey he'd lost. The blow caught León in the chest, knocking the breath from him as he was hurled backwards across the wooden floor, the big man slamming into the wall where the three Methuselah girls had been chained. His broad-shouldered form hit the wall with a dull thud before he slid downward to land in the slick wetness of the injured girls' blood where it had pooled on the floor.

The three former captives where slowly making their way along the wall of the chapel, their eyes flicking back and forth between the two battling men as they moved. One of them let out a small shriek when León's big body hit the wall. The sound drew Abel's attention, the Crusnik making a soft sound as he turned away from León, and toward the three young girls.

Grimacing, León slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, the dark-haired man gasping a bit for breath. _Crap...I think he cracked a couple of my ribs..._ His dark eyes immediately sought out Abel, León swearing as he caught sight of the trio of Methuselah girls, the pale-haired man moving in their direction. Bracing his hand on the wall, León pulled himself to his feet, the chakram still clutched in his other fist. With a quick flick on the hidden mechanism inside the ring, the hidden razor sharp teeth slid upwards and locked into place.

"Abel!" León called out to the other man. The sound of his name caused the Crusnik to slow, looking back over his shoulder as he paused. "Why don't you play with somebody your own size?" the brunette man asked as he staggered away from the wall, his clothes disheveled and blood-stained, the chakram a silvery blur as he spun it on his long fingers.

The Crusnik regarded him in silence for a moment, before giving a dismissive sound, turning back toward the Methuselah girls again. The wounded one had long since seen her wounds closed down by her natural regenerative ability, but her blood was still rich in Abel's senses, driving him onward whether he wished to go or not. León growled in frustration. Abel was beyond reasoning with, all this thoughts and movements being driven by the need to feed.

"Sorry about this, Junior..." the dark-haired man let the chakram fly, hurling it towards the priest with all his strength, the serrated blades flashing in the light as it spun towards Abel.

The blow hit Abel hard, the blades cutting deep into him, spilling fresh blood. Abel staggered a step, wavered, and then went down to his knees, the chakram half-protruding from his back. He was far beyond his own endurance, and some dim part of him knew the Crusnik should have deactivated by now, but the ringing in his ears grew ever worse, his skin crackling with visible electricity, energy that surged and dimmed in waves. He coughed once, bringing blood to his lips, a thin stream of it trickling from one corner of his mouth, and yet still he felt the push to rise, to seek prey, to take the feeding that had been denied him. Trembling, he tried to struggle to his feet.

León didn't give the priest the chance, the brunette hurtling himself towards the ivory-haired man, every breath like a fire in his broad chest. The sound of the man's footsteps had caused Abel to turn somewhat, and it was that half-turn that left the priest on his side as León barreled into him, sending them both skidding across the floor. With a growl, he struck the other man again, sending him hurtling toward a nearby statue, the only intact one in the chapel.

The dark-haired man hit the ceramic object with a grunt, the statue shattering into pieces as León and it hit the floor. Abel was lying still nearby, energy crackling a vibrant purple as it surged anew, and the Crusnik dragged himself to his knees. Wincing, one hand wrapped around his midsection, León struggled to his knees as well, the broken pieces of the statue scattered around him. One piece glittered amidst the broken pieces of ceramic and plaster, a familiar wafer-thin chip. Abel paid it no heed, having brought himself back to his knees, and was more involved with his struggle to get to his feet. León squinted at the object through the trickle of blood trailing from his left brow. Reaching out, the dark-haired man's fingers scrabbled towards the chip, closing over it.

"Well, well..." León looked down at the electronic piece in his palm. "Looks like I found the off button." Closing his fist over the device, he squeezed it with every ounce of strength he had until it snapped in two.

Abel never heard that hateful piece of machinery snap, but he felt the effects almost immediately as the ringing in his ears cut off abruptly. No longer driven to madness by both the device _and_   his blood hunger, he slumped a little, the eyes that flicked to the Methuselah girls dulled. He'd been holding onto his Crusnik form so long, and with no real feeding, that he knew he wouldn't be able to maintain it much longer, and he groaned as pain swept into his awareness along with that revelation.

The broken pieces of the transmission chip dropped from León's fingers as he unclenched his fist, the dark-haired man squinting at his companion with one eye. Electricity crackled around the Crusnik, but it wasn't as aggressive as it had been before, blood still flowing heavily from the wound caused by the chakram protruding from Abel's back. In spite of all of this, he wasn't moving. The small pool of blood where the Methuselah girl had been bound rippled, but didn't move, and there was the slightest pull at the Methuselah blood on León's clothing, but it was barely a breath, a last-ditch effort to get the blood the Crusnik so desperately needed.

León wasn't doing much better, the big man aching from head to toe from being tossed around like a rag doll, his chest aching with every breath he took. Despite his injuries, however, he started towards Abel, half-crawling towards the pale-haired priest. Like Abel, León knew that the blue-eyed man wouldn't be able to hold onto the Crusnik form for much longer which meant that he wouldn't be able to heal his wounds. He had to get the chakram out of Abel's back while there was still time for the nano-machines to heal the damage it had inflicted.

Abel heard León's approach as much as he scented it, and he turned his head slowly, regarding the other man for a moment, before his eyes widened. León's face was a mask of pain as he reached Abel. "You're gonna owe me for this one..." he gasped out as he slid his arm around the priest, his fingers wrapping around the protruding chakram, the blades cutting into his soft flesh. "Sorry, _Tovaresh..."_   The words fell softly from his lips as he wrenched the glittering weapon from Abel's back.

Abel howled in pain, the removal of the chakram far more painful than receiving the wound had been. He slumped over onto his side, his vision unfocused some as he turned a fading scarlet gaze to León. "Forgive me," he whispered.

Huddled together in one of the corners of the chapel, the three young Methuselah girls watched as the brunette man who had freed them slumped forward, his big body sliding down and over that of the strange pale-haired man, neither of them moving.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

 

When the police eventually arrived at the derelict church, they found the two AX agents unconscious but alive. They were able to sketch together some of what happened from the still terrified girls, though they weren't sure what to make of the part about the red-eyed monster that had lightning flashing around it. Abel and León were immediately taken to the hospital, the detective that they had been dealing with taking the initiative to contact the Vatican regarding their condition. It was Sister Kate who relayed the message to Lady Catarina, the cardinal immediately instructing her subordinate to head to Valentia to gage the situation.

So it was that León Garsia de Asturias found Kate's holographic image staring down at him when he regained consciousness, the man's dark eyes taking a few moments to focus.

"Welcome back, Father."

"K-Kate...?" León's voice sounded thick in his ears.

"I guess you didn't hit your head as hard as they thought." The young woman said. "The doctor said you had quite the goose egg."

León started to raise his hand, finding that it was bandaged, as well as having an IV attached to the back of it. "W-Where...where's Abel?" he asked.

"Father Nightroad is still unconscious."

"That isn't what I asked. I asked where he was."

Kate's eyes narrowed just a fraction. "He's a few beds away."

León raised his other hand up to his head, his fingers encountering a bandage on his brow. "The girls..." he suddenly started. "The vampire girls..."

"They're safe," Kate answered. "Their injuries have been treated and they've been returned to their families." The dark-haired man nodded slightly, the movement making his head spin for a moment as Kate went on. "Cardinal Catarina sent me to get your report on the incident."

León rolled his dark eyes. "Gimme a break, Kate."

"Father..." the woman started, her tone crisp.

The brunette groaned. "Alright...alright...some crazy bitch...she was using something similar to the Silent Noise system." He said. "It made Methuselah blood crazed...the massacres in the churches...we tracked her down to some old abandoned church...Abel took her out..."

Kate listened, a slightly disdainful look marring her features at some of León's language. "We recovered the woman's body."Sshe said. "She's been identified as Carlina Barrie."

"Barrie?"

"Yes," the blonde woman replied. "It turns out that she was the adopted daughter of the late Professor James Barrie formerly of the University of Londinium."

"Damn . . ." Leon murmured.

"She also served as his assistant in the majority of his later research before his death."

The dark-haired man's brow furrowed slightly as he thought. "The island," he said. "She wasn't there with the others. We made a sweep of the whole place."

Kate nodded. "She apparently disappeared not long before you and Father Nightroad started your investigation of Never Land Island. A few weeks before Professor Barrie did."

"So that explains the similarity with the device she used on Abel and the Methuselah in the church with the Silent Noise System."

Kate nodded her fair head once again. "As of yet, we've been unable to establish as to whether or not Miss Barrie was working alone or for the Professor's employers."

"They're the ones who rubbed him out in the first place." Leon said. "Abel discovered his body in Barcelona. Why would she take up with them?"

"I don't know." The blonde woman replied. "But as I said, we're still working on our investigation. We discovered what looks like a diary as well as a number of other papers in a small room on the second floor of the church where you and Father Nightroad confronted her. From what I was able to gather from her writings, Miss Barrie apparently blamed Father Nightroad for the professor's death."

"If you know all this, then what do you need a report from me for?"

"I'm sure that there are more details that only the two of you can give." Kate said her tone crisp.

Leon shrugged his broad shoulders; the movement making him wince slightly in pain. His ribs had been tightly wrapped, two of them having been broken during his battle with Abel.

"I'll expect a more detailed report from both you and Father Nightroad upon your return to the Vatican."

"I'll write you a book on it when we get back." The brunette man said flippantly.

Kate gave the prone man a look, not appreciating his tone. "I'll let Cardinal Catarina know that you're both alright." She said, her holographic image fading from view.

León turned his head, the dark-haired man trying to see down the row of empty beds. Abel was lying quietly, a few beds down just like Kate had said. He was lying on his side, facing toward León. Although León's quick-thinking in removing the chakram had likely saved Abel's life, the nano-machines hadn't had time to heal him completely. He was also very pale, much more so than usual, likely because he had been unable to feed. He hadn't so much as stirred during Kate's visit, and seemed equally oblivious to the scrutiny now, one long-fingered hand curled around a simple gold cross, the other either tucked under the pillow, or under the covers out of sight.

With some effort, León managed sit up, the big man taking a few moments before he swung his legs over the side and stood up. Despite his own enhanced regenerative abilities, he was still a little weak, probably from being abed for so long. Once he had his bearings, he took a few steps forward only to be stopped by the tugging of the IV in the back of his hand. Without even glancing down, León pulled the small fine needle from his skin, hissing a bit at the slight burn. Once he was free, he started towards Abel's bed.

As he drew closer, more evidence of Abel's lingering injuries became apparent. There was a slight bulge of a bandage under the hospital gown he wore, and the faint bruising across the bridge of his nose was silent testament to the blow that had shattered his glasses. While his Crusnik had seemed to work quickly to heal him from the most threatening injuries, it hadn't been as thorough as usual, perhaps because it had been denied the necessary fuel it needed to keep running, pressed on well past its own threshold by Carlina's device. For all that, though, Abel seemed to be resting peacefully enough.

León pulled over a nearby chair when he reached the priest's bedside, the dark-haired man settling on it with a slight wince of pain before reaching to touch the pale hand clutching the cross. Abel stirred just a little at the gentle touch, a soft sound escaping him as the hand León was touching twitched. The brunette's hand closed over the priest's, Abel's skin cool under León's touch. It was several moments more before Abel woke, his pale eyes cracking open and staring at León's fuzzy mass in his vision.

"Mornin', Sunshine..." León said softly.

"L-León..." Abel said, blinking several times to try and clear his vision. "You're...are you...all right?" He whispered.

"I'll live." The other man replied.

"Thank God..." Abel's voice shook, as did the hand under León's. "Thank God...and...those girls? Please tell me I didn't harm them..."

"They're alright." León said in a placating tone. Abel nodded at that, and then fell silent, closing his eyes and exhaling a slow breath. "We took out the bad guy, the kids are safe, we're still alive...all is good in the world."

"...So it is," Abel murmured softly, opening his eyes again. In spite of his words, his expression made it clear he was still troubled.

León's hand slid away from the priest's. Abel looked up at León as his hand moved away, wanting to ask for forgiveness for what he'd done, for the things his fragmented recollection had shown him, but the words caught in his throat. "Think I'm going to have to re-negotiate this little jaunt when we get back to Rome," León said. "I think Catarina owes me a few more years for this one."

"... Forgive me," Abel whispered, looking away from the man again.

"For what?" The other man asked.

"...I...don't remember everything perfectly..." The priest went on, his tone soft. "But...I remember enough...please, forgive me..."

"It wasn't your fault." León said. "You couldn't help it because of that machine."

"That's true, I suppose, but even so...I'm sorry..."

"Apology accepted." The dark-haired man said softly. Abel apparently needing to hear the words.

"Thank you," Abel replied, the faintest ghost of a smile touching his lips.

" _Tovaresh..."_ León whispered the word, his golden brown gaze intent on Abel's china blue eyes.

That warmed the priest's smile somewhat. "I think I rather like that word on your lips."

"Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" The brunette grinned at the other man.

That drew a soft chuckle from Abel, one that ended in a slight wince. "I certainly didn't."

León reached over and covered the priest's hand with his once again. Abel was still a moment, before releasing his hold on the cross he'd been gripping and turning his hand over to clasp León's in a weak grip. "You should be resting," he said softly.

"Yeah, yeah..." The other man said with a slight nod. "I will."

"After all...I'll need this old dog to help me navigate until I can get to my spare glasses." Abel smiled a little more at that, loosening his grip on León's hand only when he couldn't maintain it anymore.

León couldn't help smiling as well. "Hey, who're you calling old, Junior?"

Abel chuckled softly. "I'm not calling you anything you haven't just called yourself."

"Wise guy..." the dark-haired man's smile widened a bit, his fingers trailing over the cool pale skin of Abel's hand as he let it go.

Smiling at that, Abel let his fingers brush León's as the man released him again.

"I should let you rest," León said.

"And get some rest yourself," Abel replied, letting his hand turn over slowly to cover the cross lying on his covers.

"I know, I know." The brunette said as he stiffly rose to his feet.

"Rest well, _Tovaresh_ ," Abel said softly. But as he closed his eyes and let the medication dull his pain and pull him back into sleep again, he felt lightness in his heart that left a faint smile on his lips.

León stood there and watched the pale-haired man quietly for a few moments before he turned away and slowly climbed into the empty bed next to Abel's, the dark-haired man settling on his side so that he was facing the priest and closed his dark eyes.

~ End ~


End file.
